Gillian Harvey’s After School Sugar Cookies [RECIPE]

December 14, 2020 by Leave a comment

Gillian Harvey's After School Sugar Cookies
After School Sugar Cookies are a busy parent’s best friend. (Photo courtesy Gillian Harvey)

Writer Gillian Harvey is a busy woman. Not only is she the author of the upcoming Everything is Fine (which you can pre-order now before it hits US bookstores in January), but she is also mom to five adorable, energetic kiddos. So when we asked her to share one of her favorite recipes, it came as no surprise when she offered up this one for her after school sugar cookies. After all, what parent doesn’t need a quick cookie recipe in their culinary arsenal? We hope you love baking up this batch of sweet goodness with your little ones! —J&H

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Perfect Fried Eggs

October 5, 2011 by Leave a comment

Perfect Fried Eggs

With our simple cooking method, burnt or undercooked eggs are a thing of the past.

A friend praised my culinary prowess the other day and then lamenting her own inadequacies in the kitchen said, “I can’t even fry an egg.” I understood how she felt because we all have to start somewhere, and if someone grows up in a home with a parent who can’t cook, or who doesn’t take the time to teach them how to cook, they’re not going to know the basics of how to prepare even the simplest meals. Or you could be like me where as a child, I recall that my mom tried to teach me how to flip an egg, but no matter how hard I tried, I always made a mess. So I simply resorted to making scrambled eggs my specialty. Now, however, I’ve learned a simple method for making the perfect fried egg and best of all, there is no flipping required!

PREP: 2 minutes
COOK: 3 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat a small frying pan on medium heat. Add butter and swirl it around the pan to coat.
  2. Add egg to pan. Pour water onto pan surface, not onto the egg, then cover and cook for about 3 minutes, or until egg white is cooked through and the yolk has reached desired consistency. Adding water to the cooking process creates steam that cooks the top of the egg.
  3. Transfer fried egg to plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired.

TIPS: Crack egg into a small bowl before adding it to the pan. This makes retrieving pieces of shell easier and avoids burning tender fingertips. Also, if you need to prepare more than one egg, just be sure to adjust your butter and water measurements accordingly.

YIELDS: 1 serving

© 2011 Jadeworks Entertainment. All rights reserved.

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Chili Cheese Coneys

September 19, 2011 by 1 Comment

Chili Cheese Coney

A quick and easy family favorite, our Chili Cheese Coneys dish up lots of flavor and are on the table in minutes.

Sometimes our friends and readers tell us that it seems like we never eat simple fare. We beg to differ! Here is one of our favorite dinners to make on a cold and hectic day. Whether you call them Coneys or Chili Dogs, it seems like nearly every community across America has its own recipe for this family favorite. We top juicy frankfurters with mustard, chili and a blend of cheeses for a quick and easy meal the whole crew will love.

PREP: 5 minutes
COOK: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 best-quality hot dogs or frankfurters
  • 8 best-quality hot dog buns
  • Mustard
  • 1 recipe of Busy Day Chili
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • Pickles (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Fill a sauce pan with 3 cups water and bring to a boil; reduce heat. Place hot dogs in water and simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F. Warm buns in oven until slightly golden; remove from heat.
  3. In a small bowl, combine cheeses and set aside.
  4. Split open buns and drizzle with favorite mustard. Place one hot dog in each bun. Spread about 1/2 cup of chili over each hot dog and cover with cheese. Serve with pickles, if desired.

YIELDS: 8 servings

© 2011 Jadeworks Entertainment. All rights reserved.

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Belgian Waffles

May 3, 2011 by 2 Comments

Belgian waffles with sweetened whipped cream and sliced strawberries

Belgian waffles are low-calorie, kid-friendly, and perfect to prepare ahead and store in the freezer for up to a month. (Photo by Jathan Fink, Jadeworks Entertainment)

Who doesn’t love waffles? They are perfect for breakfast, brunch or even dessert. If you whip up a batch on Sunday morning, eat them for breakfast and freeze leftovers in a zip-top plastic bag, separated by layers of wax paper. When you’re ready to eat them, simply pop them in the toaster until they are warm. Then serve them with butter and maple syrup or as shown here, topped with sliced strawberries and fresh whipped cream. Yum!

PREP: 18 minutes
COOK: 4 minutes per batch

INGREDIENTS
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • Sweetened whipped cream
  • Sliced fresh strawberries
DIRECTIONS
  1. Beat egg yolks and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Add butter and vanilla, beating until blended. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture and milk to egg mixture, beating until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.
  2. Cook in a preheated, oiled Belgian waffle iron until golden. Serve with sweetened whipped cream and strawberries.

YIELDS: 1 dozen

© 2011 Jadeworks Entertainment.

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Breakfast Week: No-Bake Granola Bars

April 21, 2011 by Leave a comment

No-Bake Granola Bars

Our no-bake granola bars are great for breakfast on the go or as an after-school snack.

Sometimes, when we’re in the mood for cereal, we don’t have the time to eat it in the traditional manner. That’s when this super-quick recipe comes in handy. Not only does it satisfy cereal cravings with a blend of oatmeal and Rice Krispies®, but it is also hearty and the combination of peanuts and peanut butter delivers tons of protein to start the day off right. This recipe is so easy, it is perfect to prepare with the kiddies too!

PREP: 5 minutes + cooling time
COOK: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 1/2 cups Rice Krispies® toasted rice cereal
  • 2 1/2 cups uncooked old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup peanuts
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels
DIRECTIONS
  1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; set aside.
  2. Bring brown sugar and syrup to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until blended.
  3. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until coated; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in chocolate morsels. Lightly grease a 13- x 9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray, then press mixture into it; cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

YIELDS: 4 1/2 dozen

© 2011 Jadeworks Entertainment.

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