 Credit: Q Events After the last drumstick has been eaten, and the kids are stuffed with stuffing, comes the age-old post-Thanksgiving question: What can we do with all these leftovers? Kristin Quattrone of Q Events has taken this issue seriously, with the creation of recipes that use Turkey Day leftovers as the star ingredients! She has turned an apple pie into a delicious smoothie, that is fun for kids to make and enjoy. Apple Pie SmoothieIngredients:- 3/4 cup apple pie filling
- 1/4 cup all-natural Coffee-mate Natural Bliss Caramel (or milk)
- 3 Tbsp. plain yogurt
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Ice cubes
Directions:Remove insides of leftover apple pie filling and place in blender. Add leftover coffee creamer, yogurt, cinnamon and handful of ice cubes. Blend for 15 seconds. Serve in a tall glass. Garnish with Cinnamon on top.Find Coffee-mate coupons here.
~ What is your favorite way to use up leftovers? ~
 I am known for my Camping Apple Cake by now. And why shouldn't you bake while camping, right? On our most recent camping trip, we had enough sweets between the S'mores, Nutella sandwiches and fudge shop tastings, so I didn't get to make it! Tiny still wanted some, so I baked it when we got home, and we brought it to share at an early Labor Day BBQ. There is still time to make it today for Labor Day, or for back-to-school or Rosh Hashanah, which is coming up!
To bake over a campfire grill, use a disposable tin pan, or a reusable one you don't mind washing. Grease the bottom of the pan with butter or oil before filling it, and grease a sheet of tin foil before covering it. Check it often to make sure it is not burning.
Ingredients
One box of yellow cake mix, prepared according to instructions with water, oil and eggs.
One can of apple pie filling.
A quarter cup mixture of dry oatmeal, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Directions
Spread the apple pie filling in a 13x9" pan. Cover with the prepared yellow cake batter, and spread evenly. Top with the cinnamon topping. Bake according to the cake instructions, about 35 minutes. Enjoy with ice cream if at home!
 Credit: Oh Brownie People always say not to make brownies from scratch, that a box mix is just as good or even better. You listen. You pour in your ½ cup of oil and crack in that one egg. You give it a good mix until all of the ingredients are moistened. You bake them in the hot oven, and try cutting them while still warm. And yes, they are tasty. But only once you have nibbled one of a dozen Oh Brownie Karmel Sutra treats will the words “oh...brownie...” fall in sweet and salty crumbs from your lips. Sorry, you were baking?
 I was trying to get really creative with dinner recently. I had made a large pot of chicken soup with orzo go with it. Since we have all enjoyed yogurt parfaits in the past, I thought I would try making one with orzo. I layered sauteed balsamic radicchio, orzo, pesto and parmesan cheese. And topped it all off with a decorative sprig of rosemary. Well it looked fun, and Tiny couldn't wait to try it, but the radicchio and parmesan was too much even for her gourmet palate. She requested a parfait with just orzo and pesto, and that is what she got. And she enjoyed it too! ~ What fancy foods do your kids like? ~
 When my friend Melissa was planning her The Very Hungry Caterpillar party for her daughter, she asked me for some food ideas. I created this pasta salad based on the book just for the occasion. The fusillis became the caterpillars, the peas the heads, and the cheese shreds the little antennae. I have made it twice now, and the caterpillar party goers loved it as well. Here is the recipe: Boil one pound of fusilli pasta. Toss in some frozen peas when the noodles are almost done. Drain and mix in your favorite prepared pesto, one can of drained garbanzo beans, one small box pear tomatoes and one chopped red pepper. Cool in the refrigerator, and then toss with shredded parmesan cheese and optional black pepper. Enjoy, but don't get a stomach ache like that hungry caterpillar!
 When a family in Tiny's preschool class adds a new baby (or two) several other families take turns making them dinner. When we volunteered to make dinner for a family of five boys I needed something big! Granted two of them were newborn boys, but the three older brothers needed something that would appeal to them! This Ground Turkey Casserole from Food on the Table looked perfect, because what kids doesn't love noodles and cheese? I made enough for this growing family, for us, and for another friend, who happens to have a dog named Noodle! I got a very nice thank you note for the meal. Tiny and I enjoyed this creamy and nutritious comfort food, and so did her little and bigger friends! ~ What meals do you make to help out a friend? ~
 Tiny and I were on a mission to get a Cupkates cupcake, because we had followed the truck out of its parking spot the week before, until the driver signaled to me that they were sold out. We tided ourselves over with a cupcake and a Mexican chocolate bread pudding from Whole Foods. But when the weekend came we were ready to try again. We chose a Sunday when we knew we'd have plenty of time to meet the truck and enjoy the little cakes. I ordered a Mexican chocolate cupcake which they got just right. Tiny picked vanilla, and she loved the frosting which is the only part of any cupcake she generally eats. I'm not a big lemon meringue pie person, but the cupcake of the same name is an experience. It is literally the pie in a baking cup, and so good in this small scale. Let them be little. ~ What treats does your family go out of its way for? ~
 Credit: FroYo Fresh What could be better than having someone in your family own a frozen yogurt shop? Having them live closer! Until our cousin Tanya in Florida decides to open up a FroYo Fresh shop in California, we'll just to have settle for hearing about the cool, rather warm, toppings she offers, like walnut sauce and Nutella. And she loves hearing about the frozen yogurt that Tiny and I enjoy on a rather regular basis. She always chooses mint chip and strawberry yogurt. She varies her topping choices, but always gets one pink wafer cookie. I don't judge, but I don't understand the parents who only allow one topping choice. I don't know that the topping bar is the place to teach restraint. Yet again, maybe it is. ~ What frozen yogurt or ice cream toppings do your kids like? ~
 Most kids first experience a snow cone from the Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine. But not my Little Guy. His first shaved ice came from the gourmet Skylite Snowball Truck, which we tracked down this afternoon in Emeryville. Tiny wanted me to get chocolate since I love it, so I got blood orange topped with Tcho chocolate syrup. It was delicious. Being the Disney Princess fan that she is, once she knew Jasmine was a flavor choice, she was set on that one! We found a shady spot on the sidewalk by the truck and enjoyed our frozen treats. We both had fun feeding the Little Guy with our small and large compostable spoons (which we kept). He preferred the blood orange flavor as far as I could tell. No chocolate for him yet though. ~ Have you partaken in the food truck revolution yet? ~
 Tiny had a a great plan: purple pancakes! We bought a packet of Bisquick mix which makes ten pancakes. We added one cup of water and many drops of red and blue food coloring to arrive at what were really lavender pancakes. Then she wanted to add sprinkles too, so I shook some rainbow jimmies on each pancake once I had spooned them on to the griddle. The sprinkles melted into each pancake, and melted really nicely as you can see. Somehow the pancake being a pretty color made them taste better too. Tiny wanted peanut butter in them too, but I suggested we just put it on them after, which we did. ~ What adventure have you had with food coloring? ~
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