Roasted Cauliflower

This recipe is straight from a website called, Simply Recipes.
I wanted to make cauliflower tonight and I wanted it to taste just a bit different. It turned out well. Dave and I both liked it; even after he responded "I guess I could?" after I asked him if he would like any.
Cauliflower is a good source of fiber and contains vitamins C, B & K, as well as being a good source of minerals.

INGREDIENTS:
1 head cauliflower
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
Lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon, or about 2 TBSP of bottled lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Parmesan cheese (I didn't use it and it was still delicious.)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Meanwhile rinse cauliflower well and cut into florets. Place in a single layer in a 9x13 pan. (I didn't do that so instead I turned them half way through baking.)
2. Toss in the garlic. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the cauliflower and drizzle generously with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes until tender. The fork should be able to pierce the cauliflower easily. Remove from oven and serve. (This is also when you would sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.)

NOTE: I've seen lots of recipes where people hide cauliflower in food. As I recall they put it in mac & cheese, and mashed potatoes. Another sneaky mom trick for getting your kids to eat their vegetables. Google it for yourself!

Kid Tip #1

Ok, here's something new I'm doing...I am going to list tips as I think of them that I do to get my kids to eat their veggies.

Are your kids hungry before dinner, even while you're making dinner? Are they clawing at your legs and begging you for food?

Kid Tip #1
While dinner is cooking I cut up raw veggies in small pieces like bell peppers, carrots and celery, put them on a plate with a small bowl of ranch dressing. The kids are hungry enough to gobble them all up and I don't have to beg them to eat their vegetables when dinner is officially on the table.

Lilia & Alex

NOTE: If you're kids don't eat/like raw veggies try some cooked ones while still providing their favorite dip.

Chocolate pretzels

I got this recipe idea from my friend Kate. They are so easy and kid-friendly to make. Lilia did all the work, while I was baking cookies for a party at our house.

INGREDIENTS:
 24 small pretzels (the square pretzel snaps work the best)
24 Hershey kisses, choose your favorite chocolate
24 M&M type of candy

1. Preheat the oven to 200. Place the pretzels on a baking sheet. Place the kisses on top. Place in the oven for 5-7 minutes. (Keep in mind different chocolate have different melting points. Dark chocolate melts the fastest, white chocolate takes the longest to melt.)
2. Pull the pretzels out of the oven and gently place one M&M into each Hershey kiss, pushing down slightly. Chill in refrigerate until set. Serve at room temperature.

NOTE: I saw a fun idea as I did a google image search for the picture below...Someone did Valentine's day colors with the M&M's that come out in February.

The finished product!