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Having trouble getting your toddler or preschooler (or teen for that matter) to eat something other than waffles and chicken nuggets?

Check out my story in today's Food & Wine section, where we explore daycares and preschools that are striving to expand childrens' culinary horizons through fresh produce and innovative meals.

The section is packed with recipes, but here is one we couldn't fit. For more extra recipes, check out our Appetizers blog.

Stevie's Speedy Enchilada Sauce
Cook time: 22 minutes
Serves: 8
Notes: This recipe is courtesy Chef Steve Magana of Sacramento Montessori School.

Ingredients
1/3 cup corn oil
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Sea salt to taste

Instructions
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour and chili powder and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder into the flour until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 12 minutes, until thick. Season to taste with salt.

Eating Suggestion:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a good amount of sauce in a casserole pan and roll some mozzarella cheese in a few corn tortillas and place in a casserole pan. Add more sauce over and top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes.

Per serving, sauce only: 102 cal.; 1 g pro.; 5 g carb.; 9 g fat (1 sat., 2 monounsat., 6 polyunsat.); 0 mg chol.; 94 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 79 percent calories from fat.

Sweet potatoes and autumn dinners seem to go hand-in-hand.

Instead of our typical baked sweet potatoes, I decided to try mashed sweet potatoes this weekend. Not only was it a delicious accompaniment to our at-home date-night dinner of spiced filet mignon with blue cheese butter (total cost of dinner was $25 - much more affordable than going out and having to get a sitter), but the kids loved the potatoes the next day. For theirs, I eliminated the cayenne and nuts.

The potatoes would also be delicious alongside a simple herbed chicken breast.

Follow the link below to get the recipe.

I almost did a end zone happy dance. Twice.

I may be able to make a mean lemon cake and a most irresistible brownie, but when it comes to bread making, I'm solidly in the novice category. After several failed attempts, I am trying my hand at yeast breads. I think much of the problem lies in my patience (as in I have very little).

I decided to give making homemade pizza a go this past weekend. It's inexpensive and the DIY version means we could top them any way we pleased.

Fortunately for me, the pizza dough turned out beautifully, though the cool, Autumnal weather darn near destroyed my dough-making effort. After a two hour rise outside, the dough was barely bigger than before. It took a good hour longer on our kitchen table, under the warmth of our incandescent chandelier, to double in size. Whatever gets the job done.

The best news, however, is that my preschooler loved it. When asked if he liked it better than the restaurant pizza, he said "Mama's is better." I couldn't stop smiling.

This recipe for dough yields enough for two pizzas, perfect for parents and kids to top as desired. I did a spinach, garlic, bacon, onion and mushroom mixture atop the adult version, while the kids voted for cheese.

Follow the link below to get the recipe.

The onset of cool weather always seem to kick off soup, stew and chili season in our house.

Usually I make a big batch using XLNT, a brick of chili con carne mix that I've only ever found in southern California supermarkets. The product produces a chili so delicious that we're willing to drive six hours to procure it and for a while, my mother was bringing up coolers of the stuff with her when she'd come to visit the grandkids.

But with just one brick in my freezer at the moment and a trip from Nanna a ways off, I've been scouting around for a substitute. I found one at Taylor's Market on Freeport Boulevard. It's Cookwell & Company's Texas Two-Step Chili Mix. The 34-ounce jar of chili mix only requires some ground beef to produce a hearty, slightly spicy chili that was easy to make and even easier on the wallet. All told, it was about $12 total (we use beans in our chili - an abomination in some households, I know - so it bumped up the cost $2). But considering it fed my husband and I for three nights, that amounts to about $2.16 per serving, which helped stretch our food budget in a big way.

Follow the link below to get the recipe.

 

It's hard to stretch a family food budget.

Trying to balance what's on sale with what's appealing to parents and what children are willing to eat can sometimes feel akin to puzzling out the meaning of life.

There's good news, however.

Major supermarkets have realized this and are offering families deep discounts, advice on ways to make every dollar count and healthy meal ideas.

Safeway launched a campaign offering everyday low prices on thousands of items, many of which are targeted at families.

"It's really a sign of the times," said Jennifer Jolly, a consumer lifestyle expert who has teamed with Safeway. "Everyone has challenges with their budget and this is what Safeway is doing to make people's lives a little bit easier."

Items with yellow tags indicate the new price, which is often in addition to Safeway Club Card savings.

I asked Jolly for some tips for families on ways to save money at the supermarket. Here is her advice:

• Stretch your meals to stretch your budget - A whole chicken for Sunday dinner can transform into healthy chicken sandwiches on Monday, chicken strips on Tuesday and chicken wraps on Wednesday. Family pack portions of chicken and red meat also are better values.

• Pack a lunch - Jolly said she didn't realize how much money she was spending on eating out until she started brown-bagging it. "I saved $100 in two weeks," she said. Parents can keep it interesting by packing items like hummus and veggies for dipping.

• Don't shy from generics - In-store brands, especially generic organic products, can save major money.

• Think green, save green - Buying one large container of juice and filling a Thermos or reusable container is often cheaper - and more environmentally-friendly - than buying individual juice boxes. Forego pre-cut fruits and vegetables. The DIY method is much more cost-effective.

• Get creative with old standbys - Use cookie cutters to make that PB&J a little more special. Try cutting tortillas and pitas into shapes to accompany dipping sauce. Use a rolling pin to roll out a piece of wheat bread, top with tuna or chicken mixed with finely diced veggies, roll up and slice. Call it sushi and let your little one's imagination run wild.
  

• Think outside the (lunch)box - Use a Thermos or insulated container to keep natural macaroni and cheese or oatmeal warm until lunchtime. "I pack whatever we've had for dinner the night before," Jolly said. "(My daughter) thinks it's really cool."

Speaking of lunchboxes, here are some suggestions from Patty Mastracco, recipe developer for Raley's, on how to pack your child a lunch they won't trade.

• Get kids to help - Get your kids to help plan the weekly lunch menu. They are more likely to try new foods if they help prepare them.

• Healthy choices - Dedicate a drawer or bin to healthy things for kids to choose from. Try fruit leather, whole wheat energy bars, dried fruits and nuts.

• Surprise them - Fill a cored apple with peanut butter or almond butter or pack yogurt as a "dip" for fruits.

Whole Foods also has taken note of the trying economic times and posted a plethora of economical lunch box ideas on its Web site. For recipes and more tips, go to the Whole Foods "Build a Better Lunchbox" page.

Need more money-saving meal miracles? Check out The Bee's Shop Cheap blog. Bee blogger Pam Dinsmore scouts for deals daily and each week, recipe researcher Sheila Kern finds delicious recipes using weekly specials.

Want to enjoy a comforting, flavorful meal at home in celebration of today being California Family Day?

Frances Benthin, of Oregon, created this dish for the 2005 "Sargento Shredded Cheese Challenge" and took home the grand prize - a trip to California wine country and dinner at Chef Michael Chiarello's St. Helena home. Benthin has won multiple recipe contests over the years.

Benthin's granddaughter, Natalie Benthin, 16, of Grass Valley, is now following in grandma's footsteps and is competing today in the 2009 National Beef Cook-off in Sonoma. To read more about the Benthin family, check out the story in today's Food & Wine section. To find out how Natalie Benthin fared in the competition, visit the Appetizers blog.

Follow the link below to get the recipe.

I have a confession: I can't stand leftovers.

Apart from leftover components of Thanksgiving dinner, I'm not a fan of repeat meals. Leftovers in my house used to prompt a white lie about the food not looking so great and a call to Round Table. Now, given the economic climate, leftovers are eaten, although sometimes without enthusiasm.

So when I come across a dish that results in appealing leftovers, it becomes a repeat feature in my culinary repertoire (can a woman who routinely uses a slow cooker and would prefer to eat brownies instead of dinner claim to have a repertoire? I'm not so sure, but I'm going with it).

The first night we had the dinner of sweet potato and pear stir-fry with chicken and chile sauce, it was good in a homey sort of way. The next night, however, it was delicious. The sweet potato had soaked up some of the spice and flavor from the sauce, the pears and the water chestnuts retained just the right amount of crunch.

This flavorful recipe also packs quite a healthful punch: one serving (which includes rice) is 370 calories and has 7 grams of fat, 24 grams of protein and 7 grams of dietary fiber. (If you're a Weight Watcher, it amounts to 7 points per serving).

Follow the link below for the recipe.

I typically don't care for  recipes that require a lot of preperation before the ingredients are added to the slow cooker, but this one is worth the extra effort. Searing the chicken in a hot pan before adding it to the slow cooker locks in the meat's juices and makes for tender, moist chicken.

The recipe, which comes from my beloved Williams-Sonoma cookbook, calls for a whole chicken, but halfway through dismembering the poor bird, I remembered that you can buy whole chickens already cut into pieces. I saved a lot of money by going the DIY route, but I might just fork over the extra cash next time.

 

Summer Coq au Vin

Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes plus 2 to 2 1/2 hours on high setting or 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours on low setting
Serves: 6 to 8
Notes: This recipe is courtesy Williams-Sonoma's "Essentials of Slow Cooking" (Oxmoor House, $34.95, 286 pages). Cook time includes chicken cooked in 2 batches.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into 8 serving pieces, trimmed of excess skin and fat
4 shallots, minced
2 cups dry white wine, such as chardonnay
1 cup chicken broth
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 pound summer squash such as yellow crookneck or zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces
3 carrots, about 1/4 pound total weight, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 pound frozen pearl onions, or 1 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed

INSTRUCTIONS
On a plate, stir together the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. Turn the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken and cook, turning frequently, until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the shallots to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.

Transfer the wine-shallot mixture to a slow cooker. Add the chicken, arranging the dark meat on the bottom and the breasts on top. Tuck the parsley and thyme sprigs among the chicken pieces. Cover and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours on the high-heat setting or 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours on the low-heat setting. Uncover and add the squash, carrots, onions and sugar snap peas, pushing them into the cooking liquid around the chicken pieces. Cover and cook until the vegetables are cooked through, about 20 minutes longer.

Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a warmed platter and serve at once.

Per serving based on 8 servings: 529 cal.; 37 g pro.; 9 g carb.; 34 g fat (9 sat., 16 monounsat., 7 polyunsat., 2 other); 139 mg chol.; 570 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 58 percent calories from fat.

I did a story for today's Food & Wine section about cooking game. I know I may catch some flak for admitting that I eat game meat such as elk and bison (and love it, quite frankly), but it's healthy (as red meat goes), versatile and ridiculously delicious.

I took to the Bee's test kitchen recently and developed a recipe for bison burgers that many coworkers, including some a little wary about trying game meat, found pleasing to the palate.

Here's the recipe.

True Blue "Buffalo" Burgers
Prep time: 10 minutes active, 1 hour inactive
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Notes: Ranched bison can be found in some area supermarkets, such as Raley's. Not game for eating game? Beef would be a fine substitute. Serve these burgers alongside some oven-roasted sweet potato fries for a delicious meal.

Ingredients
1 pound ground bison
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rings.
1 quart low fat buttermilk
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups panko bread crumbs
4 ounces blue cheese (I used Point Reyes)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 to 3 tablespoons Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce
4 hamburger buns

Instructions
Pour buttermilk into large bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the seasoning salt. Place the sliced onions in the buttermilk and refrigerate for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and very lightly coat a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Place the flour in a medium bowl and the panko in another medium bowl next to it. Remove soaked onions from the fridge. In an assembly line kind of maneuver, dip the onions into the flour, back in the buttermilk, then into the panko crumbs and place on the cookie sheet. Repeat until all onion rings are done. Bake in oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and crispy. Remove from oven and set aside.

Preheat the oven to broil or heat your outdoor grill to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together the bison meat, olive oil, Worcestershire, remaining 1 tablespoon of seasoning salt, and salt and pepper to taste. Pat the meat into four burgers, making a small, shallow indent with your thumb in the middle of each burger. Grill to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium.

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and Frank's RedHot sauce to desired spiciness. Slather desired amount of spicy aioli on top half of each bun. Place a burger on the bottom half of bun and top with about an ounce of blue cheese each and a few onion rings and the aioli covered top bun. Enjoy.

There's a few recipes in my collection that are easy, no-fail and absolutely delicious. Here is my favorite.

These green enchiladas have become somewhat legendary. They also come with a warning: you may want to make double the amount you think you need because people often go looking for second helpings.

These delicious enchiladas get their smooth, creamy texture from warmed milk used to soften the flour tortillas.

Click on the "keep reading" link below to get the recipe.

Many parents know the desire to give their children the best birthday possible.

We are willing to go to great lengths to make sure our little ones get the toy they've been longing for, the special paper plates festooned with a beloved cartoon character, a cake that will excite their tastebuds and imagination.

While gathering the ingredients for the perfect, low-key birthday party for my son, who turned 3 years old Saturday, I stumbled upon a clever birthday accoutrement at The Mixed Bag in midtown that instantly became the hit of the party. Meet Wishosaurus.

Wishosaurus is a plastic purple dinosaur that holds up to 10 candles. He's made of food-safe, play-safe plastic and comes complete with candles and a little pedestal to place on the birthday cake, according to Fred, the Rhode Island-based company that makes the Wishosaurus and other novel gadgets and tchotchkes.

I'm used to my cakes, which are made from scratch and usually the product of weeks of planning (yes, I'm a bit nutty when it comes to baking - ask my colleagues), eliciting "oohs" and "wows." Wishosaurus stole the limelight with his prehistoric party animal prowess. It was awesome. The best part is we can use Wishosaurus each birthday, adding more memories as the years pass.

Wishosaurus is for sale at The Mixed Bag at 2405 K Street or online through Amazon. For more information about Fred products, go the company's Web site.

If you're interested in a good recipe for strawberry buttercream, here's one that I created and used this past weekend. The combination of strawberries and jam lend an amazing flavor and smooth texture to the traditional vanilla buttercream. Enjoy.

Niesha's Strawberry Buttercream

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: None
Serves: Yields enough frosting for a three layer 9-inch birthday cake or 24 cupcakes
Notes: This frosting is best atop a traditional white cake. I used Martha Stewart's recipe, and filled the middle of the cake layers with organic strawberry jam and organic strawberries sliced flat.

Ingredients
8 organic strawberries, leafs removed
2 tablespoons best-quality organic strawberry jam
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions
In a food processor, blend strawberries just until smooth. Add the jam and give a quick blitz to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add four cups of powdered sugar and beat for about 3 to 5 minutes, until it's light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat to incorporate. Add the reserved strawberry mixture (should amount to about 1/2 cup) and beat until combined. Gradually add in the remaining powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. You may not need all the powdered sugar. Once you get the frosting to the consistency you like, beat for about 2 to 3 minutes on medium high speed. The buttercream can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about two days. Refrigerating will make the frosting harden.