The TV show “Man v. Food” (broadcast on the Travel Channel) is probably my latest guilty pleasure, although I doubt the late, great Julia Child would approve of it. It’s kind of like “Man v. Wild” meets “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

Here’s the synopsis: Adam Richman, a foodie but not a competative eater, chows down on great food across the country looking for the most impossible challenges to undertake. For example, he’ll find the largest portions of wonderful treats like icecream or pizza and then try to consume the over-sized portion in an alloted time. (Sometimes he competes against others who have already conquered these great feasts.)Other times he’s attempted to devour Thai food that is so spicy the cooks wear gas masks when they prepare the dish. I’m not sure if it’s Adam quick wit or the crazy challenges he takes on that make him so endearing, but it’s hard to not want to cheer him on in his conquests.

For the most part, the show is pretty family-friendly too. We’re always looking for fun things to watch that don’t peter on the edge of PG-13 or worse. In fact, my kids are such fans of the show, they’ve been begging me to send in a challenge to Adam. They’d like to challenge him to a chocolate consumption contest. I’ve rarely seen Adam loose to any commoners but I think these girls could him a real run for his money.

Here’s how they’d stack up:

Their combined ages: 17.

Their combined weight: 90 pounds (if wet).

Their love of chocolate: immeasureable.

Question: What TV shows appeal to your inner foodie?

Even though your children leave diapers behind at some point, they still seem to find ways to contribute to landfills, unfortunately. Lunch time is an easy way for moms and kids to work together to waste fewer resources and save money in your home budget. Here are a few ways we’ve gone green in our family and in our school:

1.      Using reusable plastic containers instead of baggies. Those wonderful ziplock baggies are convenient, but a plastic container can be used time and time again. Sometimes the ziplocks are still an option, but for the most part I’ve transitioned my kids over to using their reusable containers. I’m sure it helps that they don their favorite cast members from High School Musical.

2.      Going old school. Metal lunch boxes are back in style and kids are showing off all of the fun designs. Neoprene bags in fun patterns and colors are great for older kids who are “too cool” to carry a lunch box. These bags can also keep hot items hot and the cold ones cold.

3.       Toting the liquid. Remember those old Thermoses we used to pack into our lunch box? They’ve undergone a makeover and now kids can bring water or juice to school in a reusuable and safe container. These save the environment and your wallet. Make sure if it’s made of plastic that it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals, though.

4.      Avoiding prepackaged goodies. Not only are these items usually full of preservatives and other harmful chemicals, they are also full of extra packaging that is wasteful. Don’t forget all of that you end up paying extra for all of that cardboard and plastic that is used to store your snack before you eat it. It’s more economical and environmental to buy in bulk and then redistribute into reusable containers.

5.      Juicing up responsibly. What kid doesn’t love a Capri Sun? But really, all of those foil pouches can take a toll on the planet unless they’re recycled. Our school is now participating in program where they’re paid a nominal amount by the manufacturer for each foil pouch they turn in. Everyone wins in this case: the school gets money, the kids get their juice, and the packaging is recycled. If your school doesn’t have a program like this suggest it to your PTA or organize it yourself.

Question: What do you do the “green up” your lunch bunch?

Quiche is one of my favorite things to make on Christmas morning. I pop it in while we open gifts and it’s ready to serve by the time we’ve all worked up an appetite. It’s also very filling so it keeps everyone satisfied for a while.

Today’s breakfast idea comes from Andi, a friend of mine and fan of 3 Girls and A Pug. She’s sharing her favorite quiche recipe.

Quiche

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1 cup Bisquick

2 cups cubed ham

1 cup grated cheese (I like to use cheddar)

a couple dashes of salt and pepper (or to taste)

Blend eggs, milk, and Bisquick together. Then add ham, cheese, and salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean.

Eggs are a relatively cheap item to eat, are fast to prepare, and make a great source of protein. I buy eggs in bulk from Costco and try to sneak them into our breakfast meal plan a couple times a week. I can bet there’s at least one or two members of most families that aren’t big fans of eggs, myself included, but there are some ways to make eggs more edibile for everyone. (A little salt on eggs goes a long way in improving the flavor of eggs.)

1.       Hard-boiled eggs. What kid doesn’t love eating with her hands? Hard-boiled eggs can be made ahead of time, and if you wrap a piece of bacon around the egg, the salty meat flavors offset the strong egg taste. My kids even gobble them up as afternoon snacks.

2.       Homemade Egg McMuffins. I use a slice of meat (Canadian bacon, deli sliced ham, turkey bacon, sausage patties, etc.) and one egg piled onto a buttered, whole wheat English muffin. You could also add a slice of cheese if you like, too.

3.       Breakfast sandwiches. Follow the same directions as the McMuffin above but use two slices of your favorite bread (I love sourdough) instead of the English muffin. Changing one ingredient really can fool young mouths and eyes into believing it’s really a different menu item. Wrap it up in foil and you can eat it on the go.

4.       Breakfast burritos. I combine a meat source, cheese, and hashbrowns (if I have some) into scrambled eggs and load them onto a warmed tortilla (15 seconds in the microwave.) Want a kick? Add some hot sauce or salsa to the recipe.

5.       Go traditional. You can always make a standard bacon-and-egg breakfast plate with toast on the side or an omelet with vegetables hidden inside if you can get away with it. The classics are always crowd pleasures.

6.       Try something different. Maybe poached eggs have a better texture for your egg-cautious kiddo? Or perhaps your kids would devour a quiche or frittata. You don’t know until you try, and eggs make a relatively inexpensive experiment.

Question: How do you like your eggs?

A few years ago a friend of mine took me to breakfast at a cozy French bistro. We sat outside on the garden patio and had “grown-up pancakes” drenched in this amazing vanilla syrup. I tried to buy some syrup to take home, but they didn’t sell their edible liquid potion. So, I began trying to dissect their recipe with my own foodie tastebuds and then went home and began experimenting with homemade syrups.

Homemade syrups are easy to make and give regular ol’ pancakes or waffles an extra touch. It’s great to serve when you have guests or for special occasions.

I never did crack the code exactly, but a friend of mine shared a recipe for Homemade Vanilla Syrup that is the closest I have come. Also, another friend of mine and 3girlsandapug.com reader, Nancy, gave me the recipe for Butterscotch Syrup. Check both of these sweet recipes out below.

Homemade Vanilla Syrup

2 cups sugar

2 cups butter

1 cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

In a sauce pan, stir the first three ingredients to a rolling boil. Add baking soda and vanilla. This makes a lot of syrup, so I store the extra in my fridge and throw it into the microwave when I’m ready to use the rest of it up. Serve on top of pancakes, waffles, crepes, or French toast.

Butterscotch syrup
3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 T. corn syrup
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients, except the vanilla, in a large pan (it grows). Cook over medium heat for 7 minutes, stirring while it barely boils. Take off heat and add vanilla. Serve warm over pancakes, waffles, french toast or ice cream.

When I posted our breakfast menu on the fridge this week I was inundated with questions and comments from my daughters such as, “We’re having pizza for breakfast? Cool!” or “Are we really having pizza for breakfast? Really? Really? Please!”

Of course, it’s not the pepperoni-with-cheese pizza they envision, but yes, we’re serving up pizza for breakfast this week and they loved it. Here’s how I got them excited to eat eggs and whole wheat pitas without complaining. Just like in professional kitchens, the key to success is that it’s all about the presentation.

1 whole wheat pita

1 fried egg (cooked in Pam to make it healthier)

1 piece of bacon (or sausage) crumbled

¼ cup cheese

Ketchup (or other condiment of choice)

Directions: Make one fried egg and a piece of bacon. Warm the pita in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Place a pita on a serving plate, top with ketchup, pile on the egg (which should be about the same size or slightly smaller than the pita) and then sprinkle with cheese and bacon. Enjoy!

Adult Variation: I am not a ketchup-on-my-eggs kind of gal so I recommend using Tapatio Sauce with sour cream, salsa, or ranch dressing as your pizza sauce. You can also add spinach leaves and tomatoes if you want to boost the fiber and nutritional content for you and/or the kids. You can also use ham instead of bacon.

My husband doesn’t cook. He even burned a grilled cheese sandwich in the toaster oven – two times in a row! But he does make a mean pancake. Pancakes are such in institution in our house that we enjoy “Friday Pancakes” weekly.

After eating more pancakes in the past two years than any human should eat in a lifetime, I’ve learned how to jazz up pancakes. Here’s one of our favorite “recipes” just in time for the Fourth of July.

Patriotic Pancakes

Mix up the batter for your favorite pancake recipe. We’ve tried lots of brands and even a few homemade recipes and have concluded the Krusteaz brand is our favorite. (It’s also super cheap if you buy a big bag from Costco.) Fold in blueberries and top with raspberries or strawberries and whipped cream. Enjoy!

Question: What ways do you “spice up” pancakes?

After we loaded up on berries and other yummy items from the Farmer’s Market, I immediately began salivating as I thought about making crepes. Now that we’re on summer schedule we’ve got more time to make more elaborate breakfasts and we don’t have wolf down our food to get to school in time.

Don’t get me wrong, breakfast is a big deal in our house. In fact, it may be the only meal my kids actually eat well during the day, so I feel the need to kick it up a notch as Emeril would say, and offer them something really fun and hopefully nutritious too.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll share some of my favorite recipes from our breakfast table. Enjoy the crepe recipe. Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never tried making crepes. They can be tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a snap. I got this delicious recipe from my younger brother. Who knew he’d be such a great cook?

Crepes

6 eggs, well beaten
1 cup flour
½  cup sugar
½ teas salt
 
Beat all ingredients above together. Add 1 ¾ cups milk.
Coat pan or skillet with butter or Pam and heat to about 275 or 300 degrees if you have an electric skillet. If not, use medium heat. Fill with fresh fruit and top with whipped cream or powdered sugar.
 

Last week I posted a list of healthy options for summer snacking, but having healthy alternatives is only half the battle. I don’t know how many times I’ve watched the fruit in our fruit bowl turn rotten while my kids whine that they can’t find anything to eat. I hate wasting food because it’s like throwing money in the trash.

Here are a few ideas for making sure your snacks are gobbled up and you don’t hear every mother’s favorite words: “I’m hungry. What can I eat?”

1. Make a snack drawer. We have one in the pantry for dry goods and one in the fridge for cold stuff. Both are low enough for everyone to access independently.

2. Keep a fruit bowl at eye level. Have the fruit washed and ready to go so even the smallest hands can access a snack.

3. Put snacks in grab-and-go baggies. I like to wash cherries and grapes and put them directly into snack size bags that we can stash in the pool bag or my purse if we our out running errands. Isn’t food more appealing when it’s packaged well, too?

4. Keep snacks in the car. I always have water bottles, juice boxes, and granola bars stashed in my car for those instances when hunger pains strike while we’re out running around town. I can’t tell you how many trips through a drive-thru (and time and money) that has saved me.

5. Keep a magnetic dry erase board on the fridge with a menu of what snacks are available inside.

6. Make a snack menu. I have a friend who plans out every meal down to the snack so her kids know what to expect.

7. Have each child make a list of what snacks are tops on his or her list. If your children choose the snacks and you have veto power (to get rid of unhealthy indulgences) then everyone wins. You can also use this as a way to hold picky eaters accountable for their bird-like eating habits. I frequently send my daughter to her list and remind her that she made the list. She can edit the list, but for every item she removes, she has to add one back on.

Question: What do you do to keep snack time healthy and happy?

For as long as she could talk my youngest would say, “I need a knack!” As much as I love to hear her cute lack of ‘S’ pronunciation, it does get old to watch my kids fill up on snacks and then pick at their dinner. For all appearances sake I have three little girls, but don’t fooled by their small bodies because they eat like Hungry, Hungry Hippos.

We start with fruits and veggies before I let them dive into the carbs. It’s amazing what they’ll eat if they’re really in need of “knack.” Here’s some suggestions of healthy snack options for kids to chow down on:

Grab and Go Snacks

·         Veggies and Ranch dressing

·         Carrots and refried beans (heat beans in microwave with salsa and cheese for 1 minute)

·         Apples

·         Sugar snap peas (my kids eat them plain, but you can also dip them in hummus instead of chips)

·         Grapes

·         Strawberries

·         Blueberries

·         Raspberries

·         Peaches

·         Nectarines

·         Plums

·         Apricots

·         Dried fruit

·         Nuts (lots of kids have allergies, so make sure your kids don’t have a problem with nuts before you introduce them to cashews, walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, etc.)

·         Apples

·         Applesauce

·         Sugar-free jello

·         Sugar-free pudding

·         Low-fat popcorn

More Complex Snacks

• Mini-pizzas. Top a whole wheat English muffin with ketchup, parsley, salami, and cheese and pop into the toaster oven until melted.
• Bean and cheese burritoes. I overdosed on these in college, but they fill up my kids with lots of protein and they love them.
• Faux lunchables. Instead of buying the pre-packaged kind lay your stuff out on a platter for the kids to dive into. Displaying the food in a fun way always makes it more appealing. Who doesn’t love to play with their food before they eat it?
• Smiley face plates. I have school-aged kids who still fall for mom’s smiley face plates. I put whatever I have on hand into the shape of a smiley face on the plate and my kids devour it. I hope that trick lasts on and on.
• Nachos. Put a few chips on the bottom and pile up the healthier stuff on top (chopped up chicken, cheese, beans, tomatoes, salsa, veggies etc.) and broil in the oven until the cheese is melted. The kids will feel like they’re getting a treat while you’ve tricked them into eating more than just chips.

Question: What do you do to feed your hungry gang?