appetizers — Ma Whats For Dinner?

Perfect Pumpkin Dip

October 23, 2012 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 19 Comments

It’s that time of year!

My favorite time of year!

So you all know how much I love to dip…

Yes, I am a dipper.

And it seems I have passed the trait onto the kids.

We’re a dipping family.

So we came up with a great dip for fall!

A creamy and delicious pumpkin dip.

It’s perfect…

Perfect for parties.

Perfect for appetizers.

Perfect for after school.

Perfect for sitting down and eating the whole thing with spoon.

Perfect Pumpkin Dip

8 oz softened cream cheese (I used light, and you could even use fat free)

1 15 oz can pumpkin

1 c brown sugar

2 t pumpkin pie spice

1 t vanilla extract

2 T apple cider

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor (you could mix this by hand in a bowl if you don’t have one) and stir well to combine. Pour into a small pumpkin to serve. Chill for 3o minutes. Serve with ginger snaps, apples, and pears.

Filed Under: Appetizer Recipes For Kids, Crafts, Featured, Healthy Side Dish Recipes For Kids, Holidays, Kid Favorite Recipes, Kids Desserts, Recipes For Kids, Snacks, Vegetable Recipes For Kids, Vegetarian Recipes For Kids Tagged With: appetizers, dips, fun food, kid food, picky eaters, pumpkin recipes

Girls Night Zucchini & Corn Pancakes

September 26, 2012 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 1 Comment

I love Girls Night Out.

You really need it from time to time.

Recently we’ve switched girls night out…

To Girls Night In.

We gather at someone’s house…

Everyone brings a dish.

And a bottle…

And then we really dish.

And you know me…being Ma and all.

I have to try and make the best offering.

This is my latest…

It was a hit!

Had to take advantage of all that zucchini in the garden…

Not to mention the boys gobbled these up…

And didn’t even know they were loaded with veggies!

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 medium to large zucchini grated

2 T grated red onion

1 cup corn off the cob (I slice mine from leftover grilled corn)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

6 – 8 T flour

1 t baking powder

S&P

1 T butter

Olive oil

Toppings:

Smoked Salmon

Creme Fraiche

Chopped Scallions or chives

Capers

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine zucchini, onion, and corn.

Stir in your eggs.

Add about 5-6 tablespoons of flour, the baking powder, and S&P. (If the batter gets too thin from the zucchini liquid, add the remaining flour.)

Heat a large pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in the pan. When it’s hot lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping soup spoons of the zucchini batter into the pan.

Cook the pancakes until browned on each side…about 2 minutes apiece.

Remove from pan and set aside on a sheet pan…you can keep warm in the oven. They’ll stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes.

Serve hot.

Top with a dollop of creme fraiche, a bit of smoked salmon, some scallions and a caper.

Filed Under: Dinners on a Dime, Featured, Healthy Side Dish Recipes For Kids, Kid Favorite Recipes, Lunch Ideas For Kids, Mommyville, Snacks Tagged With: appetizers, buy local, farm to table, girls night, moms night, pancakes, pot luck, veggies, zucchini

Superbowl Week – Carnitas

February 2, 2012 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 7 Comments

My favorite Superbowl food?

Hands down….

These Carnitas!

We love football around here.

We love our Pats.

We love Superbowl Sunday with snacks and the whole hood gathered round.

We love these carnitas.

Want to feed a crowd easy?

Make these carnitas and a taco bar.

Make a lot though.

My boys can rifle through these things in no time flat.

Big thanks to Girlichef for this amazing, slimmed down recipe.

So easy

Sooooo good!

Pork Carnitas

WHAT YOU NEED:

Serves 8

6 pounds country style pork ribs

kosher salt

water

corn or flour tortillas

chopped onion

chopped cilantro

guacamole

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Liberally salt your pork on all sides with kosher salt and lay in a 11×13 baking dish. Space them out so they are not touching. You may want to use 2 dishes.

Add 1/3 cup water to each of the pans.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for one hour.

After an hour remove from oven and turn the oven up to 450 degrees. Remove the foil from the pans. Bake uncovered at 450 until all the water is gone and all that is left is the fat that has run off the pork, about 30 minutes.

Continue to bake an additional 20 minutes while returning to baste the meat at least twice in it’s own fatty delicious juices.

Remove from oven and chop up pork and sprinkle with salt.

Serve on tortillas with onions, cilantro and quacamole.

Game on!

LETS GO PATS!!!!

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Dinners on a Dime, Featured, Kid Favorite Recipes, Lunch Ideas For Kids, Snacks Tagged With: appetizers, carnitas, football, game snacks, mexican, Superbowl, tacos, tex mex

Superbowl Countdown – Keegan’s Killer Kielbasa

January 31, 2012 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 18 Comments

Um….

If I haven’t already mentioned it….

THE PATS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!!

And here’s a News Flash….

I have 3 boys.

Ok, well 4 if you count the hubs…

And let’s be honest, you have to count the hubs don’t ya?

So game days are big around here.

We’re a sports family.

Hockey.

Football.

Baseball.

Basketball.

Even soccer, or football as my mom calls it. Go Manchester United.

Anyway, we love the Superbowl.

Especially when the Pats are getting ready to beat down the Giants.

And Keegan has asked that I post his absolute favorite again…

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

We’re ready for some of Keegan’s favorite, and the hubs, Kielbasa

healthy snacks for kids kid favorite recipes holidays featured appetizers Superbowl Countdown Keegans Killer Kielbasa

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes

2 links polska kielbasa smoked sausage, sliced

1 cup maple syrup

1 T soy sauce

1/4 cup brown mustard

1 t liquid smoke (optional)

In a large skillet over medium high heat, warm sausage until the sides just begin to crisp, about 5 minutes. Pour in your syrup and soy sauce and stir well. Add in mustard and liquid smoke and mix well. Bring to a boil then knock back the heat and let simmer until sauce is thick and rich and bubbly.

Pour onto serving platter and serve with toothpicks.

Score!

Filed Under: Appetizer Recipes For Kids, Featured, Holidays, Kid Favorite Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: appetizers, game food, game time, kielbasa, pot luck, smoked sausage, tailgating

Superbowl Spicy Crab Dip

January 27, 2012 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 5 Comments

Ok, I’m going to admit something here…

I’m not sure if my marriage is actually a sham.

Yup, it’s true…

I think that this dip is the actually the reason the hubs married me.

Yes, it’s that good.

Trust me….

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 16oz tubs softened cream cheese (You can use reduced fat)

1 T crushed garlic

1/2 T Siracha hot sauce

1/2 t crab boil seasoning

S&P

2 cans lump crab meat (picked over for shell bits)

1/2 cup water chestnuts diced

2 scallions chopped

sourdough baguette sliced thin

WHAT TO DO:

In a large microwave safe bowl combine softened cream cheese, garlic, hot sauce, crab boil, water chestnuts, scallions, crab meat and S&P. Mix well.

Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove and stir well.

Microwave for an additional 2 minutes or so until steaming hot.

Remove from microwave. Top with additional scallions. Stir well.

Transfer to serving bowl and serve alongside slice sourdough bread.

People will be proposing at first bite!

Filed Under: Featured, Healthy Side Dish Recipes For Kids, Kid Favorite Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: appetizers, apps, crab, crab dip, dip, football food, hot dip, seafood, tailgating recipes

Are you ready for some football??? Wings edition

January 24, 2012 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 3 Comments

Oh yeah baby.

Good things are afoot.

Because Team Fitz is back in MA

And the New England Patriots AFC Champs again.

You know what that means?

That my dear friends…

Means the Pats are on their way to the

SUPERBOWL.

I can’t wait for the rematch…

And the food.

I am so all about the Superbowl food!

Starting with these wings.

These wings are one of the best things I’ve ever had.

This recipe comes straight from my girl, Michelle.

She makes a mean pot o’ wings.

Can’t wait for Superbowl to eat ‘em again.

I have to warn you…

Once you make ‘em.

They’ll ask you to make them again.

EVERY.

SINGLE.

TIME!

Best Football Wings Ever

WHAT YOU NEED:

3/4 cup of soy sauce
2 tsp of garlic powder
1 1/2 cup of sugar

6 lbs of wings (cut)

WHAT TO DO:

In a large bowl comgine the soy sauce, garlic and sugar.

Toss in the wings and let marinade overnight for best taste.

Be sure to mix at least one time during the marinating so as to get all of the wings covered in the yummy sauce.

Preheat your oven to 325.

Cook at 325 degrees for 1 – 1 1/2 hours!

Enjoy!

Are you ready for some Football???

What are you making for superbowl?

Who are you rooting for?

GO PATS!!!

Filed Under: Crock Pot Recipes For Kids, Dinner Recipes For Kids, Featured, Kid Favorite Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: appetizers, chicken wings, football, patriots, Superbowl, wings

Perfect Pumpkin Dip

Girls Night Zucchini & Corn Pancakes

Superbowl Week – Carnitas

Superbowl Countdown – Keegan’s Killer Kielbasa

Superbowl Spicy Crab Dip

Are you ready for some football??? Wings edition

Featured Cooking With Kids Videos

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Find A Local Farmer’s Market

Perfect Pumpkin Dip

Girls Night Zucchini & Corn Pancakes

Superbowl Week – Carnitas

Superbowl Countdown – Keegan’s Killer Kielbasa

Superbowl Spicy Crab Dip

Are you ready for some football??? Wings edition

Featured Cooking With Kids Videos

Join Our Mailing List

Find us on Facebook

Connect With Ma

Find A Local Farmer’s Market

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