Grilled cheese sandwich triangles, Masoor, orange and apple slices, garbanzo beans

Grilled cheese sandwich triangles : whole grain bread slices, some finely grated baby carrots, american cheese slices and grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. I grilled it on the nonstick pan with few drops of olive oil and cut it into triangles.
Soaked whole Masoor (lentils). they didn't sprout yet.
Tangerine (orange) and apple slices.
Soaked and cooked (with salt) garbanzo beans.

Polenta with beans and carrots, apple slices

Polenta with mexican red beans and grated carrots in Pasta sauce :
In this recipe I used polenta like pasta, roasted it on the pan. Mixed some cooked (with salt) beans and grated carrots in pasta sauce...microwaved it for a minute sprinkled some cheese and gave it in hot lunch box.
Polenta is prcooked corn meal (north Italy) and has savory taste. It is available in any supermarket. Mexican red beans are like small kidney beans (rajma) but has different taste.
with apple slices.

Afternoon Snack - Apple Sandwiches

I love making fun snacks for my kids, I think as with everything else, if the food looks fun or has vibrant colors, it's going to make you want it and enjoy it more.

This was another super quick one for this afternoon.

Nothing to it, just core an apple, slice it into thick slices....smear on some peanut butter then add some mixed nuts and some marshmallow and top with another apple slice.  It's like a little apple sandwich :)

You can also do peanut butter, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows, or leave the marshmallows out, it's up to you.

Enjoy :)

Harvest Apple Ice Cream with Warm Salted Caramel

One of my favorite pie fillings are Lucky Leaf, matter of fact they're the only ones I buy and thankfully I've been blessed to be able to review a lot of products for the Lucky Leaf Brand.

Just a few weeks ago I was contacted again and asked if I wanted to try some recipes and give my opinion on my favorite recipe.  Here is what it said:

Lucky Leaf has some exciting news for you. We are pleased to announce that we have partnered with Better Homes & Gardens to select the three winning recipes from our Made with Love Recipe Contest this year. The grand prize winner is Greg F. and his delicious Pork Chops in Apple Jalapeno Barbeque Sauce recipe. The runners up are Nadine M. and her Lemon Bar Blackberry Trifle, and Lindsay W. with her Harvest Apple Ice Cream with Warm Salted Caramel recipe.

So far, I've only tried one and I don't know how the others will fare because truthfully we are not a fan of Pork Chops with any kind of apples so my family has informed me that they're not interested in trying that one....I will let you know about the Lemon Bar Blackberry Trifle next.....but this first one, oh my....., little did I know that this would become one of my favorite ice cream flavors EVER, hands down, I'm actually enjoying a bowl as I type this.....amazing.

Harvest Apple Ice Cream with Warm Salted Caramel

Lindsay W.

1 21-ounce can LUCKY LEAF ® Premium Apple Pie Filling, chilled
1 cup whole milk, chilled
1/2 cup whipping cream, chilled
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Seeds from one vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup purchased or prepared caramel sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt


Preparation
1. In a blender combine pie filling, milk, whipping cream, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean seeds or vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and blend until smooth.

2. Pour mixture into ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Spoon into a freezer container and freeze for at least 30 minutes or until desired consistency.

3. To serve, heat caramel sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed through. Spoon caramel sauce over ice cream.

Servings: 8

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Thank you to Lucky Leaf for providing me with the samples needed to try the recipes.  I was not rewarded financially in any way, shape or form and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

Sevai (shevaya/ vermicelli) upma, apple slices, baked fish crackers, tilgul vadi

Shevaya/ sevai / Vermicelli Upma : This is a south indian dish. Kids love it. It is made from homemade sooji Shevaya or rice vermicelli. I used rice vermicelli here.
Dry Roast vermicelli for 2 min until it changes its color.
Heat a tablespoon oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds. add 1 chili (optional). Add curry leaves, finely chopped onions, soaked urad dal. I added grated carrots and squash (lal bhopala). Add 1 cup of dry roasted vermicelli. add nuts. add salt, sugar and lemon juice as per taste. Now add 2 cups of hot water and let it cook. Stir occasionally and cook until it becomes soft.

with apple slices and whole grain baked fish crackers.
Tilgul vadi. Roo is been snacking on it the whole long weekend.
Left box was all gone...She ate it first and ate less than half of upma.

Croissant sandwich with veggies, apple plum and strawberry slices

Croissant sandwich : can be made lots of different ways. This is Roo's favorite one with maximum veggies.

Thick layer of Basil pesto with spinach, walnuts, olive oil, flax meal, lemon juice and salt then the thick layer of finely grated carrots and grated cheese.
Apple, plum and strawberry slices on the side.

Methi Thepla, Apple slices, blueberries

Methi (fenugreek leaves) Thepla : It's a great picnic food...and so is for lunch box.
2 cups of whole wheat flour, 2 cups finely chopped fenugreek leaves, 1/2 cup Jawar(millet) flour, 1/2 cup besan [or soak any lentils(I used chana dal here) and grind in the mixer], 1 cup yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, 1 tbs sesame seeds, Ajwain (ovaa) seeds, turmeric, salt, some water/milk to make the dough. I make it like paratha. Cut it into bites.
Unusual dip but Roo's favorite : chutney (almonds+walnuts+flaxmeal+garlic+salt+red chili powder) mixed in ketchup.
Apple slices and blueberries. Thats my 15 month old's sneaky hand.

Aloo Paratha with vegetables, plum and apple slices

Aloo paratha with added vegetables : I use durum atta for stuffed paratha dough. For 1 cup flour use 1/3 -1/2 cup water and pinch of salt.

Stuffing : heat some oil add grated ginger, turmeric, ajwain seeds(ova), grated turnip, grated kohlrabi (navalkol), green string beans, green peas, boiled and mashed potatoes, lemon juice, salt, sugar.

Apple and Plum slices.

[If you can't make stuffing completely covered with dough ball with hands. Roll the dough a little (by coating it with flour), put the stuffing ball in the middle and fold the dough on top of the stuffing ball. Pinch out the extra dough, make ball and roll it lightly with rolling pin and again coating generously with flour at all times]