LilSugar

Set Your Table With Love This Valentine's Day

LilSugar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:00:30 -0800

Planning a family-friendly fete this Valentine's Day? Consider serving up extra love with your presentation. Heart-shaped pans, cookie cutters, or dishes are a great addition to any kitchen because they can be used year-round to show your family you heart them.

Once you have selected your simple Valentine's Day dessert project, consider a heart-shaped cupcake pan for extra pizazz. Not making cupcakes? What about a giant heart-shaped cookie pan or Cake Mold and Cookie Cutters ($3 to $10).

Delilicious: Dazzling Novelty Cake Pans

LilSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:00:53 -0700

It seems delicious kid friendly desserts taste even better when they come in the shape of something fun. The Wilton Giant Cupcake Cast Pan ($30) has become a staple for kid birthdays (much to the pleasure of moms like myself, its popularity coincides with a million great cupcake recipes). Looks like it's time to whip out my Cakes for Kids book!

Lil Find: Zoo Animal Pancake Pan

LilSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 07:00:30 -0800

If your house already feels like a zoo, one cage-free way to tame the chaos is with a fun breakfast And, the Animal Pancake Pan is the wild way to start the day and a good way for your child to brush up on their knowledge of giraffes, lions, monkeys, elephants, rhinos, camels and crocodiles.

Lil ones can practice their calls of the wild while filling their stomachs with the most important meal of the day. The $40 skillet makes seven three inch hot cakes at a time making it easy for a mother to feed her pride.

Kiddie Soiree: Adjustable Alphabet/Number Cake Pan

LilSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:00:19 -0800

Birthday cakes serve as a centerpiece for any celebration, so finding, or making, the perfect one is always a project for me. The biggest issue with creating a custom cake each year is that by the next year, my lil ones want something completely different and I need to buy a new cake pan (or find another bakery).

The Alphabet/Number Cake Pan ($40) allows you to move two-inch cubes to create any letter or number with one pan. With grooves that keep the cubes in place, there is no need to worry about leaked batter that changes the final shape of the masterpiece. The easy to follow instructions provide a guide for creating either 10- or 14-inch cakes that will serve as the center of attention for years to come.

Eat Your Greens: Get Some Muscles From Brussels Sprouts

babysugar — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:00:22 -0800

St. Patrick's Day may conjure up memories of Irish soda bread, corned beef, and pints of Guinness, but we're approaching the holiday from a different direction this year – an opportunity to get our kids to eat more green. We're taking five green vegetables and trying out different methods to get our tots to gobble them up.

Brussels sprouts get a bad rap because they are often overcooked, which makes them sulfurous and hard to stomach. Children can also be intimidated by their cabbage like appearance. The round lil goodies are packed full of vitamins A and C, as well as folic acid and fiber, making them great for the digestive system. To get my tot to give them a chance, I deconstructed the bulbous greens by shredding them prior to placing them in the roasting pan. The result: a side dish that even a picky eater is willing to try!

View 5 Photos ›

Check out the recipe, and step-by-step instructions, when you read more.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Shallots
Original recipe

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts, peeled and washed
4-6 shallots, peeled and washed
2 TBS olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Shred Brussels sprouts and shallots either by hand or with a food processor.
Mix shredded Brussels sprouts and shallots with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Spread mixture evenly on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Print recipe with images | without images

Kiddie Soirée: Gingerbread Man Cakelets

LilSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:00:37 -0800

Some moms have the time and patience to carefully plan out elaborate holiday desserts for upcoming parties and events, for everyone else there is the Gingerbread Man Cakelet Pan ($20). This handy little non-stick pan creates perfect lil gingerbread man desserts in a snap. Create your own recipe, or just use the pre-made kind that comes in a box from the grocery store. Add a touch of frosting, and voila, you're done! If you're up for it, have your children decorate the cakes with you. But if you're short on time they look cute plain too. These little guys are a tasty treat perfect for passing out to neighbors, your tot's holiday party at school, or the family friendly fête you throw every year.

Lil Links: A Perfect Peter Pan Party

babysugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:00:22 -0700

A perfect Peter Pan birthday party - Cookie
Musical mama Martina McBride cuts back on touring for her family - Celebrity Baby Blog
How to sew a swaddling blanket - CafeMom
Pre-schooler parallel parks car like an ace - ParentDish
Tori and Liam keep cool in their shades - Celebrity Baby Scoop
How do you pay attention to your kids? - The Poop
The facts about asthma - Health
Know your boob rights - Alpha Mom
Would you ever spy on your babysitter? - Momversation

Delilicious: Dinner For Everyone in One Pan

babysugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:00:50 -0800

Before I had a baby, I used to love cooking, probably even a little too much. I have two shelves in my pantry dedicated entirely to spices and condiments.

Now, back in the workforce and mother to a 1–year–old, I don't have the time or energy to give much effort to our family dinners.

As a solution to this growing problem, I have started cooking dinners that can accommodate everyone. Rachael Ray has some quick and simple recipes that will please most everyone under the roof. To learn about one fantastic recipe, read more

Any dinner recipe that requires only one pan makes me happy. This recipe has you roast veggies and chicken all at once and makes enough for dinner and leftovers.

What you need:

One 3.5- to 4-lb. chicken - quartered, rinsed, and patted dry
2 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
5 yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon gold, each cut into 4 wedges
4 thin carrots, peeled and cut into 2-in. lengths
4 thin parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-in. lengths
10 thyme sprigs

Now all you have to do is follow these easy steps:

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan, rub with 1/2 tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the potatoes, carrots, and parsnips with the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place the vegetables around the chicken and scatter 8 thyme sprigs on top. Roast until the vegetables are tender and the chicken juices run clear when a leg is pricked, about 40 minutes. Pick the leaves from the remaining 2 thyme sprigs and sprinkle on top.

Additionally, you can add pretty much any vegetable you want - zucchini, bell peppers, onions, celery, etc. Before storing the leftovers, chop up the veggies, and chicken into smaller pieces. You'll have junior's meals all set and ready for a trip to the microwave.

Kiddie Soirée: Party Sized Cupcake

babysugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:00:43 -0700

Most children greet cupcakes with a smile from ear to ear. For a jaw dropping and eye popping reaction, trump the regular cupcake with a mongo sized one at your next kiddie soirée. Williams–Sonoma has created the master cupcake mold with the Great Cupcake Pan ($35).

Fill the top and bottom with cake mix or get crafty and use the icing mold for ice cream. Once baked, you can decorate the supersized cupcake with tasty large toppings like Mike and Ikes or Skittles. Talented foodies can test their skills turning the cupcake into a castle or carousel.

The 12 Ages of Christmas: 2-Year-Olds

babysugar — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:00:41 -0800

Instead of the 12 days of Christmas, we're celebrating the ages and the toys that go along with them. Keep an eye out for your age group as we tick along throughout the season!

On the second day of Christmas, yours truly gave to thee... a kitchen to whip up servings! Parents may think play kitchens are for lil gals only, but young men like to bake up cookies just as much as their female counterparts. Go for broke with a fancy shmancy modern set from Pottery Barn Kids ($580) or settle for a simple one that will surely provide just as much fun at a lower price. Add to the package with a grocery cart full of "food" and pots and pans. It won't be long until their tiny mitts have a place in mommy's real mixing bowl.

Check out what we suggest for the other ages of Christmas!