Foodarrific

I love butter, period. I don’t care what the people with jobs in health care say, I’m not quitting butter in favor of margarine ! No way, Jose!

Once in a while, when I’m in a baguette buying frenzy, I will make my own garlic butter. I just peel a few cloves of garlic, pop them in the blender, mix with a few scoops of butter and I’m done. Of course, you can vary the amount of garlic depending on how strong a flavor you prefer.

I slap the garlic butter on halved baguette slices, pop them in my oven toaster and I’ve got a crunchy breakfast toast with my morning coffee. Oh and one more thing, remember not to kiss anyone afterwards or they’ll remember you for life !!!

Filed under: Copycat RecipesNo Cooking RequiredRecipesWestern by chili queen - 10 Comments →

My kids can never resist a McFlurry whenever we walk past McDonald’s. Tell me, which kid can?

I make my own version at home now because it’s just too easy to make. And for the price of a commercial one, I can make a whole tub and I get to eat it too, not just steal a mouthful here and there from my kids.

I call it the MomFlurry, my own registered trademark . I just grab a roll of Oreos and a tub of vanilla ice cream, any brand though we prefer Nestle because their vanilla is thick and creamy.

Crush a few Oreos and add to a bowl or cup of vanilla ice cream. Mix well and voila, your kids can have their MomFlurry whenever. No need to leave the house or head to the Outer Banks. My teens make their own, even better !

Filed under: Copycat RecipesKid-friendlyNo Cooking RequiredRecipesSnacks & Desserts by chili queen - 1 Comment →

During the school semesters, whenever we’re out grocery shopping, I’m always reminding my girls to choose their own ‘school food’. They don’t eat canteen food. Instead they bring some biscuits or cookies.

Lately because of the longer school hours, I have to pack them a slightly more substantial lunch box of sandwiches, pasta or burgers, anything that still tastes reasonably good even when it’s cold, to last them till 3pm. You can check my lunchbox ideas here.

Last weekend, we popped into Cold Storage while waiting for our lunch to be served and a promoter stopped us in our tracks with samples of Special K granola bars.

Mm, yum! We love granola bars… and they were on sale too! There were so many flavors to choose from, we ended up sampling almost all of them. The promoter was very nice and insisted we try everything .

I ended up buying 2 boxes of blueberry, and peaches and berries, and getting 2 vanilla bars free. Each bar is only 90 calories so it’s great, they’re filling but non-fattening .

Now I’m thinking of making my own granola bars. All I need is my trusty non-stick pan to dry fry some of the ingredients before baking. Although it’s more work for me to make these at home, I like that I get to control the amount of salt and sugar.

Filed under: FruitsHealthy EatingKid-friendlyLunchbox IdeasNo Cooking RequiredSnacks & Desserts by chili queen - No Comments →

I just haven’t been able to resist buying baguettes lately. My kids love the different toppings I’ve been putting on them. And obviously what better time to stuff yourself silly with baguette than when they’re on sale. Two for the price of one is so worth it.

I made this for breakfast last Sunday and again for lunch this week on my kids’ request. Simply lay strips of cheddar cheese slices along the length of the baguette and top off with a strip of streaky bacon. Pop them into the oven toaster for about 8-10 minutes.

I tell ya, the smell of bacon crackling in my oven toaster first thing in the morning is heavenly. I rarely buy streaky bacon but the bits of fat in it really do add a great sizzle of flavor.

If you’re making these as hor d’oeuvres for a party, you can cut the baguette into shorter lengths and stick a fancy toothpick in the center.

Filed under: $ave moneyAppetizers & Hor d'oeuvresBreads & PastriesKid-friendlyLunchbox IdeasNo Cooking RequiredOne-dish MealsQuick & Easy CookingRecipes by chili queen - 3 Comments →

When I was pregnant with my two older kids, I used to run across the road from where I worked and order my favorite sandwich from Oliver’s Super Sandwiches during lunchtime.

I tell you, I’m such a sucker for their very substantial sandwiches crammed with fresh veggies and meat that I’ve always wanted to replicate them at home. But of course, not quite to the extent that they pile up theirs sky high.

Cramming a club sandwich into one mouthful to be quite a challenge, even more so for the kids. So I have my homemade club sandwiches less bulky, hence less likely to unhinge anyone’s jaw .

I just toast 3 slices of bread (white for now, till I can somehow convince my kids to like wholemeal). Butter the bread lightly.

Then I start layering one slice of ham, then sliced cucumbers, the second slice of bread, one slice of cheese, then sliced tomatoes, and finish off with the last slice of bread.

Stick a toothpick right through the center to hold all the layers together. Slice the club sandwich diagonally with a sharp, serrated knife and it’s all ready to go into a lunchbox or a growling tummy. Sweet !

Filed under: Breads & PastriesKid-friendlyLunchbox IdeasNo Cooking RequiredRecipesSnacks & Desserts by chili queen - 1 Comment →