Moms' Idea Factory

Pluma Moos

  Everyone in our family, right down to our smallest member, is totally addicted to this amazingly easy dessert. This comes courtesy of my mother's Mennonite heritage. I remember gobbling down bowlfuls of this stuff at my grandmother's kitchen table. Maybe that's part of the reason I feel compelled to make this for my kids? This is essentially a cold fruit soup that you can make in the summer with fresh fruit, or in the winter with tinned and dried fruit. It's an awesome way to get your kids to eat more fruit, especially of the, ahem, regularizing kind. If you're using fresh apples or apricots instead of dried, use 11/4 cups of the fresh fruit in place of the dried.

• 2/3 cup each of: raisins, chopped dried apricots, chopped dried apple, pitted prunes

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 1/2 cups fresh (pitted or not, as you like)or canned cherries

• 4 cups water

• juice from canned cherries, or 1 pkt cherry jello powder

• 1/2 cup cold water

• 1.5 tablespoons each of cornstarch and flour

Heat dried fruit and first quantity of water in a large pot. Allow to simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add fresh blueberries, cherries and jello powder or cherry juice. Simmer 10 minutes more. Shake second quantity of water in a sealer with flour. Stir flour & water mixture into the simmer fruit mixture. Cook and stir 5 more minutes. Eat warm, or chill and serve with or without cream.

Cheesy Quesadillas

These make an awesome snack to take to the park or a great quick lunch for a toddler. They freeze well too.

• 4 small corn tortillas (or 2 large wheat ones)

• 4-ish Tbsp refried beans

• 2 tsp mild salsa

• 1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

• spray on canola oil

Spread half the tortillas with the refried beans, smooth over a litte salsa, sprinkle over grated cheese and top with the other tortilla. Spray oil into a heated frying pan. Fry tortillas over medium heat until each side is softened and golden brown.

Remove from pan and cut into small wedges - I usually cut 8 small wedges from the corn tortillas.

Allow to cool slightly so that the cheese firms up. Serve with sour cream or plain yogurt to dip.