Kid-Friendly Recipes

Desserts, Snacks

3-Ingredient Oreo Fudge (with mint option)

This recipe is for all those times you have to make a dessert for a bake sale, a potluck, or a holiday cookie tray and you just don’t have time.  Sometimes, even an easy cookie recipe seems daunting when the days are hectic and you’re fretting about rolling out several dozen little balls! I can…

Desserts, Frozen, Snacks

5-Ingredient No-Churn Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Pure vanilla flavor shines in this no-churn ice cream recipe that’s as fun to make as it is to eat—and no fancy ice cream maker is required.   I can still picture my grandfather packing rock salt into the barrel of his old ice cream maker when I was a kid. My sister and I…

Condiments, Pastas, Sauces

Shortcut Blender Tomato Sauce

Great tomato sauce is so easy with this simple technique. The recipe may be doubled or halved based on the amount of tomatoes you have. Simply blend larger quantities in batches and choose a pot that accommodates. Freezes well!   It never fails. Every summer I anxiously await the first of the red, ripe tomatoes…

Main Dishes

Beef & Rice Stuffed 8-Ball Zucchini

8-ball zucchinis offer a fun option in this all-in-one meal, but if they aren’t available, by all means use regular zucchini or summer squash. The savory filling can even be used for stuffed peppers. The first time I laid eyes on an 8-ball zucchini, I was intrigued. Its forest green skin with pale green striations…

Breakfast, Desserts, Frozen, Snacks

Easy Fruit & Yogurt Popsicles

Two basic ingredients are all you need for wholesome, creamy, refreshing popsicles that can be customized to taste.   I have a vivid memory of running through the sprinkler with my sister on a hot summer day, only to hear the distant melody of an ice cream truck. No sound was more thrilling or inspired…

Breakfast, Pizzas

Easy Egg & Guacamole Breakfast Pizza

Two nutritional powerhouses join forces for a filling, savory breakfast that satisfies just as well when served as a super simple dinner!   Chances are good that if you make guacamole for a crowd, the serving bowl will be scraped clean. But if you make it for your family, you may have some leftover. This…

Appetizers, Snacks

Christian’s Corn Flake Nachos

This quirky snack is quick, easy, and shockingly delicious. You wouldn’t think the flakes would stay crisp, but they really do!   For the latest edition of Fountain Avenue Kids, my younger son, Christian, steps behind the camera to demonstrate the after-school snack he has made for himself countless times over the years. It’s a great recipe…

Desserts, Snacks

No-Bake Energy Bites

Chewy granola bar meets cookie batter in these easy-to-make bites, which include whole oats and a whopping half cup of heart-healthy flax meal. In a bold moment a few years back, I decided to give up ice cream for Lent. It was a test of sorts, as I seriously wondered if I had the discipline…

Casseroles, Pastas

Seriously Delicious Gluten-Free Crispy-Top Mac & Cheese

My younger son suffered through strep throat nine times before he was 18 months old, endured pneumonia twice before he finished pre-school, had his tonsils and adenoids removed at age two, and started weekly allergy shots before he was five. He felt miserable pretty much all the time and, consequently, did not want to eat…

Beverages, Breakfast, Snacks

Homemade Hot Cocoa

A clever method of preparation means there are no lumps or scorched milk in this cozy cocoa recipe. There’s even a cafe mocha variation! Before I started The Fountain Avenue Kitchen, I had very little experience with photography. When I took the typical family snapshots, the camera decided how to focus and when to flash,…

Appetizers, Snacks

3-Ingredient Mexican Cheese Bites

  A curious thing happened a few days after my Mango Chicken Chili recipe appeared in this column a few months back. The chili recipe included mango salsa as a key ingredient. Figuring this might not be a regular grocery list item for many readers, I mentioned two reliable brands. Several days later, I received…

Soups and Stews

Classic Chicken Rice Soup

Wholesome comfort food as its best, this recipe yield is generous and is perfect for sharing, freezing, or enjoying leftovers throughout the week. As a long-lasting stomach virus worked its way through my family early last month, this soup (along with toast and ginger ale) was the only food some of us wanted to eat…

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