Baking mixes that combine the healthy and the happy

I'm no Betty Crocker, but I enjoy baking from scratch. There is something quite relaxing about the whole process of mixing and measuring. And I like being able to tweak recipes as I go, subbing in whole grains and lowering the fat and sugar content to make the treats at least a bitty bit healthier.

But a lot of times--like when playgroup is minutes away from descending on my home--there just isn't time to bake from scratch. So I reach for a baking mix and pretend not to see the high fructose corn syrup and preservatives in the ingredients list.

Turns out there's an option that doesn't sacrifice health for convenience. The natural, whole grain baking mixes from Portland's Kids Central Kitchen are totally free of refined sugar, trans fats, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. What's left are all the ingredients you'd be baking with if you were doing it on your own. And they taste like homemade, too.

Creators Maureen and Mark, parents of three, developed their recipes with the double goal of keeping them healthy and tasty. Each mix is tested on their all-kid tasting panel and instructions are kept simple so children can participate in the baking. My three-year old and I had great fun making up the Propeller Energy Bars together--and an even better time eating them.

Lucky parents in the Portland/Vancouver area can pick up Kids Central Kitchen mixes at several area markets (there's full list of stores at the website). For the rest of us, all eight tasty mixes (including a new gluten-free/wheat-free chocolate chip cookie bar) are available online.

$6 at Kids Central Kitchen

EVERGREEN DISCOUNT! Save 20% off your first order from Kids Central Kitchen with code evergreen20.