Empanadas para la Familia

By Andrew Hunter

Little savory hand-held pies called empanadas are a big hit in the Hunter house. We have an empanada shop close by, but we often make them at home. They’re super simple and easy to customize.

Perfect for lunch, dinner, or an on-the-go snack, one empanada is plenty for the typical appetite, especially if served with a salad and vegetable dish. We even pack them in the boys’ lunch boxes. Bake and serve them all, or freeze some to bake next week.

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Chinese Scallion Pancakes –One of My Favorite Things

By Andrew Hunter

Chinese scallion pancakes are one of my favorite things on earth to eat. If given an ultimatum, I would give up potatoes, rice and yes, even traditional bread in favor of my beloved pancakes. I love them so much that last night I made them for dinner and woke up early to eat the leftovers before Benny got up. Imagine, stealing food from my own child… yes, they’re that good.

They’re like Chinese quesadillas, but instead of cheese and beans, they’re filled with ginger, garlic, sesame seeds and lots of green onions. If I’m really ambitious, I’ll stuff them with sticky slivers of hoisin-glazed short ribs and top that with a tall pile of cilantro, fried ginger threads and even more green onions. The boys eat them by the stack too, and don’t even realize they’re loaded with garlic.

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Movie Night Caramel Corn

By Marilyn Hunter

Ben’s love of popcorn began when he was a toddler and we lived in San Francisco. We popped popcorn every Thursday night when his best friend Sebastian would come to play. It’s a tradition we continue even though Sebastian now lives in London and we live in Los Angeles.

Our boys’ affection for popcorn continues to grow as they discovered kettle and caramel corn while strolling through our neighborhood farmers’ market on a recent Sunday afternoon. They liked it so much we were inspired to try it at home.

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Trail Mix – Mom’s Best Friend

By Marilyn Hunter

First comes hunger and then comes attitude. All you moms out there know what I’m talking about. Two hungry boys and one tired mom can be an awful combination.

To keep everyone happy, I never leave home without healthy snacks. Our healthy snack of choice is trail mix…perfect to stave off hunger and chock-full of natural energy and protein, carbs, and even potassium for important electrolytes on a hot day.

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