Category Archives: Kid Friendly

Frosty Daiquiris

For a great fruity, frosty treat, why not whip up a frozen strawberry daiquiri? They are simple to do and kids just love them. For the grown ups, leave out the Equal and add an ounce of Rum (but, remember, this will raise the calorie count!)

Frosty Daiquiris
Frosty Daiquiris

2 servings
90 calories per serving

2 c fresh strawberries
¼ c frozen limeade concentrate
1 c crushed ice
2 packet Equal
2 t rum extract

Combine all in a blender and serve. Garnish glasses with strawberries.

Barbecue Chicken

Summertime is time for barbecue chicken ! I like to parboil mine so that it does not get all dried out on the grill. And then I slather it with sauce 🙂

Barbecue Chicken
Barbecue Chicken

4 servings
271 calories per serving

4 skinless split breasts (5 oz. each)
4 oz. barbecue sauce

Place chicken in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer chicken for 30 minutes to partially cook them. Remove to a plate and then place on heated grill, slather with sauce, and cook another 15 minutes or until done. Flip and rebaste with sauce several times during the grilling process.

Buttermilk Sorbet

This is one of those good old fashioned tasting desserts. So refreshing, so simple. This mildly tart sorbet is great served with seasonal berries.

Buttermilk Sorbet
Buttermilk Sorbet

4 servings
206 calories per serving

2 c low fat buttermilk
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup

3 c mix of seasonal berries (I used sliced strawberries and blueberries)

Mix buttermilk, ¼ c sugar and corn syrup and place in an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer instructions. Freeze for an hour or until firm then place in serving bowls and cover with fresh berries.

Bananasicles

You can use the popsicle ‘molds’ you get at the store, or even more fun is placing the mix in Dixie cups, adding a stick, and then peeling away the cup just before serving. Simple, simple to do and a very tasty evening treat. At only 82 calories per creamy pudding pop, I might just have one every night 🙂

Bananasicles
Bananasicles

7 servings
82 calories per serving

3.4 oz. package of instant banana pudding mix
2 c skim milk
1 banana cut into small pieces
7 T sugar free chocolate syrup (the type you use to make chocolate milk)

Place 1 T of chocolate syrup into the bottom of each cup. Combine pudding and milk until thick then stir in banana pieces and divide mix into 3 oz. paper cups. Cover with foil and poke through popsicle sticks and freeze 3 hours. Peel away cup to serve.

Angel Food Cake and Fruit

So extremely yummy and so easy to put together – you buy a prepared angel food cake, mix up an orange juice syrup and add some fruit – feel free to mix it up and use whatever is the freshest at your market. This week I added fresh blackberries !

Angel Food Cake and Fruit
Angel Food Cake and Fruit

8 servings
205 calories per serving

1 small angel food cake
1 cup orange juice
1 orange, peeled and cut into slices and then cut in quarters (or one small can mandarin oranges, drained and rinsed lightly)
1/3 c Splenda
1 T plus 1 t cornstarch
1 large banana, sliced
2 kiwis, peeled and cut into pieces

Mix OJ, Splenda and cornstarch and blend to dissolve cornstarch. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and thicken the sauce cooking a few minutes. When done, stir in the bananas and kiwi and stir to coat. Add oranges and mix then serve the fruit mix over cake.

Add some Cool Whip Lite for a great indulgent dessert.

Stir-Fry on the Grill

By using a grill basket, you can get the great grilled flavor with just about anything, even small pieces of meat and veggies. Some would do these as kabobs, but I find them too tedious to put together and then some of them always fall off the skewers and into the grill. Get a grill basket and you can do all sorts of things without any lost pieces 🙂

Stir-Fry on the Grill
Stir-Fry on the Grill

6 servings
283 calories, per serving

2 4 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces
1 lb. beef cubes (lean)
2 baby eggplant, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
½ head of broccoli cut into florets
½ head of cauliflower cut into florets
½ c steak house marinade
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t onion powder
½ t garlic powder.
Pam

Place the meat and chicken in a Ziploc and add the marinade. Mush it all around to coat all the meat and then place in the frig and let marinate 2 hours. Place the veggies in a bowl and sprinkle with the spices. Heat the grill and a grill basket. Spray the basket with high heat Pam and add the veggies. Cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Move the veggies to one side of the basket and add the meat to the other side. Cook 6 minutes or until chicken is done. Mix all together and server immediately.

Virgin Mojitos

Mojitos are a GREAT summer drink. They are basically a lime and mint flavored drink – most often served with rum. But kids love the flavor, so make a batch of virgin mojitos without the rum – not only will the kids love them, but without the rum, the calorie count is seriously low. So get lotsa limes, lotsa mint and get ready to smile.

Virgin Mojitos
Virgin Mojitos

1 serving (12 oz.)
20 calories per serving

6 mint leaves
1 T Splenda or Equal
Juice of one lime
12 oz. can diet lemon lime side
Garnish with fresh mint and lime slices

Mull mint leaves and Splenda at the bottom of the glass with the handle of a wooden spoon. Add lime juice and stir. Pour in soda and stir well. Garnish with lime slices and extra mint.

Strawberry Ice ‘Cream’ (no ice cream maker needed)

This is so completely and utterly delicious ! You won’t even miss the CREAM in this ice ‘cream’. The yogurt and sugar make a great, sweet and creamy base and then the minced up frozen strawberries just take over and you have an explosion of flavor with each bite. This is an award winner. And at 70 calories per serving – soooooooooooo guilt free !

Strawberry Ice 'Cream'
Strawberry Ice 'Cream'

4 servings
70 calories per serving

1 lb. frozen strawberries
1 c 2 % plain Greek yogurt
¼ c sugar
½ t vanilla extract

In food processor pulse 1 c frozen berries until finely chopped and then transfer to a metal bowl (a metal bowl will get colder quicker in the freezer). Process yogurt, sugar, vanilla and the rest of the berries – move to metal bowl and stir with the other strawberries. Cover and freeze 1 hour (do not let get too hard).

Grilled Corn

A special parmesan butter atop a fresh grilled piece of corn just spells S U M M E R !!

Grilled Corn
Grilled Corn

4 servings
200 calories per serving

4 ears of corn, husked and cleaned
¼ c butter, softened
2 T parmesan cheese
2 t basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Shuck corn and clean it well. Wrap in foil and grill 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Grilled Corn
Grilled Corn

Mix butter, cheese and parsley. When corn is done, open foil and place a pat of butter on the corn. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Spinach Burgers

This is flavorful and as good as you’ll find at any restaurant…I think even better ! It’s what a gourmet burger should be. The sautéed spinach and cheese are heaven. Eat yours without any toppings or add some Dijon or a slice of lettuce and tomato.

Spinach Burgers
Spinach Burgers

8 servings
310 calories per serving

10 oz. baby spinach
2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
2 T Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste
8 small Portugese rolls
Pam

Preheat grill. Spray a skillet with Pam and heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minutes. Add spinach and 1 T Worcestershire and cook until spinach is wilted down. Remove from skillet and chop (I find kitchen shears work great here) the cool to room temperature or cooler. Mix beef, cooked spinach, salt, pepper and 1 T Worcestershire. Make 8 burgers and grill to desired doneness.

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