The kids want to help Mom out on Mother’s Day by making her something special to eat. Mom surely doesn’t object, so long as the kitchen doesn’t end up looking like the bombed-out headquarters of a thoroughly defeated army.
Here are three clean and easy recipes for the kids to make:
1. Yummy Fruit Milkshake
A milkshake for breakfast? Why not! This is a special day.
Ingredients for 4 Glasses:
2 medium, ripe mangoes
2 passion fruit (or if not available, kiwis or 1 large banana)
1 cup of milk
4 scoops of vanilla, strawberry or cherry ice cream
A can of spray whipping cream, or whipping cream-like dessert topping
Method:
If the children are small, ask Dad to peel the mango and chop it up, removing the stone. Also peel and chop the passion fruit, kiwi or banana. Drop it all in a blender or food processor and add the milk. Make sure the top is on the blender and pulse the blender until the fruit is all mashed up. Then add the ice cream – put the top back on the blender! – and whir away until it all blended. When done, pour it into 4 tall glasses, add whipping cream to the top, stick in a wide straw and serve. Yummy!
2. Easiest Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup self-raising flour (if only all-purpose flour is available, add 1 tsp each of baking soda and baking powder, also 1/2 tsp. of salt so the cake rises)
1/3 cup of cocoa
1 cup of caster or icing sugar
1/3 cup of butter (let it warm up on the counter so it is soft)
1/2 cup of milk
2 eggs
Method:
Grease a 10 inch cake tin with butter or vegetable oil, then lightly dust it with cocoa powder (flour may leave white marks on the chocolate cake) – not that cup of flour listed above as that is needed for the cake. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Put all the ingredients into a large bowl or blender/food processor and mix it on high for four minutes. Then pour the mixture into the cake tin and pop it in the oven for 40 minutes. The cake is done when it springs back when lightly touched, or if a toothpick is poked into it, the toothpick comes back out clean. Remove it from the oven, allow it to cool, then turn the cake out onto a plate. Ice it with whipping cream, tinned icing, and perhaps decorated with strawberries, peaches, mandarin oranges or whatever other kind of fruit Mom likes best.
3. Yummy Meatballs
Spaghetti for dinner? Everyone loves spaghetti. Here is how to make delicious meatballs served along with the pasta and sauce.
Ingredients for 40 meatballs:
1/2 pound pork sausage meat
1 small yellow or white onion
1 tbsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning
1 carrot
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus some more to sprinkle on afterwards)
1 1/2 cups dried breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil is okay too)
Method:
If the children are small, get Dad to peel and finely chop the onion and carrot. These can also be diced in a food processor or Magic Bullet. Put all the ingredients (except the olive oil) into a large mixing bowl. (Do remember to crack the egg first and discard the shell. Yes that’s obvious; and yes, there are people out there who need to be told the obvious.) Now wash the hands! Then dig and knead and mix everything up with the fingers until it is all blended together. No tasting!
When that is done, scoop some of the mixture into the palm of a hand and roll it into the size of a ping pong ball. This is not an exact science, so if the preference is for slightly larger meatballs, go for it! When that is done, put the olive oil into a hot frying pan and brown the meatballs on all sides. This may be a job for Dad. When done, plop them into a pot of warm sauce (Mom’s favorite jarred sauce, or there are lots of recipes for easy spaghetti sauce), give that a stir with a wooden spoon, then serve over boiled pasta. Sprinkle some more parmesan over the top and Voila! Mom has a feast!
