Salmon Croquettes

Remember the french bread I made? After it started to get stale, I stuck it in the fridge to keep it fresh longer, but ran it through my food processor to make panko bread crumbs first. Panko bread crumbs are basically white bread that has been made into crumbs, and not seasoned. I love that panko can be made with all sorts of bread, so using what I have on hand is perfect!

Since I had some panko to play with, and I also had a can of salmon, I decided to make some yummy salmon croquettes! Mmmm. These are wonderful with a dab of sour cream.

Salmon Croquettes
1 can salmon
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c panko
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dill
1 T shredded carrot
1/3 c finely chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 c panko for coating
Oil for pan frying

Mix all the ingredients, except for the 1/2 cup of panko and oil, in a bowl. Spread the remaining panko on a plate. Form eight patties carefully with the salmon mixture, and gently coat the patty on both sides with the panko. In a hot frying pan heated on medium-high heat, swirl enough canola oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan (about a Tbsp worth). When the oil is hot, test with a bread crumb to see if it sizzles. Once it sizzles, gently add four patties , making sure to leave them alone once they hit the pan so they won't break up. Cook for a bout six minutes, or until the bottom is lightly browned, and then flip it over. Cook the other side until lightly golden, then serve warm with a dollap of sour cream.

Be sure to flake your salmon as you mix!

The patty is almost impossible to see here.

Sizzling in the pan! Mmmm

Salmon croquettes...minus one for my daughter.

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Teddy Bear Celery Cuts

Today I washed and cut up all of my produce for the upcoming week, and stumbled upon something really cute. If you cut celery just right, you can make adorable bear shapes! These will make a great decoration for my bento lunches, and any other cute food dress up. These bears are really easy to make, but you can only make a few of them because you have to cut them out of the branch part near the top of each celery rib. If you pick a celery stalk with several ribs, you can make more bear cutouts than if you use a sparse celery stalk. Here's how to cut them out:

Place knife about 1/8" above the indented part of the celery and cut.

It should look like this. Or close to it.

Cut on the indentation.

Teddy bears!

Chicken Quesadilla Bento Lunch




Today I needed to cook up some chicken that was in the fridge, so with the request from my daughter to have tortilla's for lunch, I decided to make some quesadillas. They were super easy to make, so I figured it would be wonderful to have saved myself the trouble of making lunch tomorrow if I made bento box lunches with the leftovers. Since bentos are so small, I decided to play with the shape a little. I sandwiched my cooked chicken (sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with seasoning salt) and cheddar cheese between two wheat tortillas and carefully placed it into my skillet.

On medium heat, I lightly browned both sides. I pressed them flat before I flipped them because I wanted to make sure the cheese acted as a sort of glue for keeping it together.

Once they were done, I cut out four circles with a biscuit cutter and sat the circles aside for the bentos. My daughter devoured the rest of the pieces.

The bottom tortilla was a bit harder to cut through than the top.

I placed the circles into each bento box and added a container of salsa. These containers were actually easter eggs with neat patterns along the sides. They were food safe and closed decently, keeping the salsa properly contained.

These eggs had enough space for the right amount of salsa.

Next, I added some containers of sour cream. These don't have tops, so I used dividers to top them.

The sour cream on the top edges helps the divider sheets stick on.

I finished the boxes with some sliced cucumbers. Both bento boxes turned out beautifully!

I think my daughter can have the elephant one.

This cute bear one will be mine tomorrow!

PB&J Wrap Bento Lunch

These quick wraps are very convenient and add a great twist on the classic pb&j sandwich. I only eat wheat bread, so naturally, I use the wheat tortillas with these as well. The white tortillas work just as well, but it might take a trial period to train your taste for them. They taste just like bread, but more like when the bread has been squished flat.

Here's how I make the wraps:

1. Lay your tortilla on a plate. Spread one half with peanut butter, and the other half with jam. Try not to use too much jam or it will ooze out when you roll them.
2. Fold over one side, and continue folding it until you have a little burrito shape without the folded bottom.
3. Cut the wrap in half and serve.

One half peanut butter, the other sugar free jam.

Fold it a little past where the peanut butter starts.

Fold again, leaving a small flap on the end.

Tuck the last bit over. The peanut butter will make it stick.

Once you cut it, you can easily lay them in a bento box, or on your plate.

My daughter ate every last bite of this!

I love using these in my bento lunches. They are pretty sturdy, so if they are jostled a bit, they won't be destroyed. I slip these in first, and add my other foods to the bento afterward.

Cooking with your kids: Pink Lemonade

Pink Lemonade

I love cooking with my daughter, even though she tends to make more of a mess than anything else. It's important to start cooking with your kids at an early age because they will love cooking more if they are familiar with it, and have the confidence that years of practice can give. Oh, and you can get them to make you some excellent food for you when they are old enough to cook by themselves and it's a special (or average) occasion. Score! Seriously, though, my favorite recipe to make with my daughter is my version of pink lemonade. If your child can roll a ball, they can help you make this yummy drink!

You will need:
5 lemons
Marachino cherries (optional-not for small children as it's a choking hazard)
1 cup sugar (or less if like it more sour)
1 or 2 drops red food coloring
Enough water to make 2 quarts of lemonade

long handled spoon for stirring

pitcher
juicer
knife
cutting board
*Always be very careful when using knives around children. Be sure that you cut the lemons far out of reach of the child, and quickly remove the knife after use*

1. Reserve one lemon for later. With the remaining four lemons, take turns rolling them on the counter with the palm of your hand, applying pressure. This releases more juice.
2. Cut each of the four lemons in half. Have your child help you squeeze out the juice with the juicer. With small children, place her/his hand on top of yours as you squeeze, or take turns juicing them until you collect all of the juice.
3. Check to make sure no seeds have fallen into the juice. Discard the extra pulp and seeds from the top of the juicer. Add the juice of all four lemons to the pitcher.
4. Add the cup of sugar. Have your child hold the cup with you as you pour it.
5. Add one or two drops of red food coloring.
6. Stir the sugar and lemon juice well. Have your child help you stir, or stir by themselves. Slowly add the water, and continue stirring until all water is added and the sugar is dissolved.
7. With the fifth lemon, cut off the stem end and the opposite end. Slice the lemon into circles about 1/4" thick. Reserve two circles, and add the others to the pitcher. With the remaining circles, cut a slit going halfway up so that you can rest it easily on the rim of a cup. Add a fun straw. Enjoy!

She is trying to get the juice out. I had to help her since she isn't strong enough yet.

I can do it, Mom!

One drop of food coloring goes a long way.

If you prefer your lemonade to remain yellow, omit the food coloring.

Slip the cut side of each lemon slice on the edge of your cup and add a straw.

Adding the extra lemon slices to the lemonade makes it so pretty and adds more flavor.

Yummy!

For an extra touch of flavor and color, drop a marachino cherry into the bottom of your cups when serving, but only for children who will not choke on it.