for kids!

Emma and Reed LOVE chocolate chip cookies (who doesn’t!?), and with the colder weather rolling in, there’s nothing better than the smell of fresh cookies wafting through the house.  But as I was looking through recipes, I was reminded of my promise to incorporate all of those cool flours I got the other week, and at first felt a bit defeated. Chickpea flour in cookies? No thank you. But coconut flour? Count me in! The combination of coconut and chocolate is divine, and I was ready to get baking. I found this recipe on the Bob’s Red Mill website. Made with whole wheat flour, agave nectar and a hint of coconut flour, these ‘cleaned up cookies’ will have even your littlest of fans running to the kitchen….

Here's a quick, easy and delicious recipe to try inspired from latest blog post about my recent flour adventure in Whole Foods.  This recipe is particularly fun to do with kids as they can help mix and roll out the dough and even cut out the shapes for the fries (just make sure they are thick enough!)

Chickpeas are a great source of fiber and low on the glycemic index, which means they help keep your blood sugar in check, giving you a sustained amount of energy versus just a quick spike. Sneak in a few extra grams of good-for-you fiber in your next dough based recipe. The chickpeas give it an almost crunchy, corn-meal taste. Stick that in your hummus and eat it.  So give it a try this weekn and let me know what you think!

And don't forget to upload photos of any recipes that you make on this site to my facebook page, www.facebook.com/CookingAuntJess to share with everyone!

Omelets and vegetables – tonight we are making "breakfast for dinner" here at Cooking with Aunt Jess, or as my niece and nephew like to call it, "mixed up dinner."  For my recipe here, we are using tomatoes, broccoli and American cheese.  You can use whatever you like, perhaps spinach, mushrooms or peppers.

The eggs and cheese provide your bodies with protein you need to grow big and strong.  Without protein our bodies cannot perform the sports we love to play or help our bones grow big and strong.  The cheese not only has protein in it, but it is a great source of Calcium, which is good for your bones.  Broccoli, which is a pretty color green, is a vegetable that has Calcium and important vitamins in it.  Tomatoes have calcium and important vitamins too.

Kids, pick your favorite vegetables and cheese and let’s get started.

Lasagna is one of those foods that can make just about anybody happy. There are no rules when it comes to lasagna.  That’s the fun of it.

Before you begin the recipe, think of what you want to create….

• A colorful masterpiece???  Go find all your favorite colorful vegetables such as red and yellow peppers, and carrots and make a vegetable lasagna.
• A turkey delight – ask mom to buy some ground turkey or turkey sausage and add that to the sauce.
• A meat lover’s pie – go for it.  Pick your favorite meat and add to sauce.  Just don’t forget your appetite!
• Your own creation and send us the recipe.  We can’t wait to hear and taste for ourselves!!!!