Lemony Orzo Salad

I am always afraid that mayonnaise-based summer pasta and potato salads will spoil when left out during summer barbecues. After taking a Food Safety course at the Nanny Institute I probably won’t be using mayonnaise for picnics and school lunches ever again. So, I tried to make an olive oil based summer salad instead. Here […]

Pesto Cheese Melt Sandwiches

Children love helping make meals. If you care for a finicky eater it helps to include them in making their meals. They will eat what they prepare themselves. An 8-year-old I care for made these open faced sandwiches for her entire family. Use your favorite vegetables and cheese — whatever the members of your Nanny […]

Chicken Salad with Grapes

Cooking for Kids I used store bought rotisserie chicken to make this easy lunch for my Nanny Kids. But feel free to use any left over chicken to make this chicken salad. If the children don’t like celery or pecans just don’t add them to the recipe or replace the pecans with walnuts or other […]

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Cooking for Families Salads make great lunches and dinners for hot summer days and evenings. Nothing is easier to make and it fills everyone up with plenty of protein and vegetables. Shrimp, avocado, tomato, and sweet onions with fresh squeezed lime juice, are really nice on a hot day. Add as much vegetables as you […]

Easy Korean Ground Beef

Cooking for Kids I found this super easy, quick, and delicious Korean Ground Beef recipe on therecipecritic.com. I don’t use crushed red pepper or black pepper when making this dish for my Nanny Kids. But if your Nanny Family likes a little spice be sure to include the crushed red pepper to their liking. Serve […]

Deep Dish Pizza

Cooking for Kids Here is a Chicago-style deep pan pizza recipe I found on the epicurious web site. The pan in which it is baked gives the pizza its characteristically high edge which provides ample space for large amounts of cheese and a chunky tomato sauce. Don’t forget to add any pizza toppings the children […]

Udon Chicken Peanut Butter Noodles

Cooking for Kids My Nanny Kids love Asian udon noodles. So I whipped up this easy lunch for them this week. Be careful when using chili sauce when cooking for kids. You may need to use less or not use any at all if the children don’t like spice. I added cucumber to the dish […]

Nannies: Do You Eat the Family’s Food When Working?

Respecting Professional Nanny Boundaries While working, nannies are typically invited to eat meals with the children in their care. This includes a slice of pizza when out with friends, food they prepare for the kids in the home, and leftovers in the fridge. But, each family has a different budget and different customs. In-home child […]

Pinwheel Sandwiches

Making Hor D’oeuvres for Kids  I don’t know where I found the recipe for pinwheel sandwiches but I started making pinwheel peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for kids when I first started working as a nanny 20-years ago. Since 1993 I have been serving the tiny treats because all the kids I have cared for love the […]

Making Pizza Bagels with Kids

Cooking for Kids What kid doesn’t love pizza? Who doesn’t love bagels? Kids love making pizza bagels as much as eating them. Below we describe how to make a basic pizza bagel but nannies can mix it up and use other ingredients to make other types of pizza bagels as well. For example, to make a barbecue chicken […]