Magic Wands

"Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
It'll do magic believe it or not
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo."

 

With a flip of their magic wand your kiddo will make their breakfast disappear... into thier bellies of course. Your little sorcerer might even be able to make you hop up and down on one leg, bark like a dog or even fly! See what they can do.

 

Moreoever, as a parent what could be more magical then getting food into your kiddo as you are running out the door late for school or that early morning soccer game.

 

 

What you need:

• 4 sausage links
• 2 waffles (frozen are easiest!)
• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup of berries
• Real maple syrup (come on, your kids deserve the real stuff not that high fructose corn syrup!!)
• 4 popsicle sticks

 

Directions:

 

Cook the sausages and the waffles as directed on the packages. Then cut them into pieces. Cut bananas into 1/2 inch thick bites. Using popsicle sticks skewer each food item until the stick is filled. Drizzle some syrup onto each stick. Then grab them and go, go, go!!

 

There is no Food Play activity because you are headed out the door!

 



 

Rattlesnake

 

Living in Arizona rattlesnakes are just a given. They can be lurking around any rock, in your pool, by the swingset, under your car or in your kitchen! I am totally freaked out right now just thinking about it!

 

Making funny sandwiches is nothing new. But when your sandwich could bite back it defintely gets your attention. So, let them eat snake!

 



What you need:

•  2 slices of bread
• peanut/almond/soynut butter
•     1 banana
•     2 raspberries 

 

Directions:



 

 Cut the crust off the slices of bread


Spread the bread with your favorite nut butter. Then cut into 6 pieces.

 

Arrange your pieces into a snake like pattern.

 

Quarter your banana and cut thin scale shaped slices. Places the scales along the snake. To help them stay in place better you can spread some of the nut butter on the top of the bread too!

 

Once you have the scales in place use a dab of the nut butter to stick on your rattle (raspberry.) Shape the head of the snake into a diamond shape and add a slithering snake tongue and some serpentine eyes!

 

 

 

 

 

FOOD PLAY ALERT: SNAKE!!

 

Paper Ring Snake. Let them eat snake and let them play snake! Here is a fun and easy snake craft to get your little one speaking parseltongue in no time. You don't know what that is?...eh, don't worry about it!

 

 

All you need is some paper cut into strips, glue and googly eyes if you got them (a black pen workes well too.)

 

Put a dab of glue on the edge of the paper strip and bring other end over to make a ring. Make sure with teh next one you loop it through the first ring before sealing the ring with glue. Continue until the snake is as long as you want it.

 

 

 Add some eyes, make a tongue and even a paper rattle and there you have it.

 

 

Ahhhh snake!!!!

 

I Want My Mummy!

 

Meatloaf is just about the most boring food ever. Think about it..."here you go kid, your loaf of meat is ready." While most kids already like meatloaf (my daughter claims it is her favorite food) it is in desperate need of a revamp. Meatloaf is getting mummified (minus any embalming substances!) So now that plain ol' loaf of meat has got a new twist and your kids will LOVE it!!  This is sure to spook them out and it isnt even Halloween yet! 

 

What you need:

For meatloaf:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 TBS ketchup
• 1 TBS dijon mustard
• 1 Tsp Worchestire Sauce
• 1 medium onion, grated (using a cheese grater makes cutting up an onion easier)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• optional: 1 diced roasted red pepper (I add it to my meatloaf and it adds a little something special.)

For mummy wraps:

• 1 premade pie crust
• 1 egg, beaten

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

In a large bowl mix together egg, ketchup, mustard, Worchestire, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, red pepper.  Then add ground beef to the mixture. Lastly, mix in breadcrumbs. Put your loaf of meat into a loaf pan.

 

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

 

Take meatloaf out of the oven and allow to cool.

Now it's time to make your mummy. Don't worry no need for any canopic jars here (FYI, Canopic jars were used by the ancient Egyptians during the mummification process to store and preserve parts of their pre-mummy owner for the afterlife. What?! Too much information.)

Unroll your thawed pie crust.

Place 1 inch wide slices of meat down the center of the crust. Make sure to leave at least an inch on the top and the bottom.









                                    


With a sharp knife cut 1/2 to 1 inch slices down both sides of the pie crust, cutting from the meat to the outer edge. Fold these "mummy wraps" over the meat loaf.

Once all "mummy wraps" are in place, make your mummies face. Here I used ketchup for the face and cut green peppers for the eyes (you could also use sliced olives, pieces of the pie crust dough, cheerios, whatever...) Last thing to do is to brush some egg on the dough to make it brown up nicely.

 

 And there you have your yummy mummy. And if you are wondering, yes, the pie crust makes the meatloaf taste amazing!

That meatloaf is kkkrrazzyyy!

FOOD PLAY ALERT:
I thought doing a heiroglyphic game would be really fun here. Then I thought of an easier and less educational activity to do with your kiddos in conjunction with your Monday Mummy Meatloaf night.
 
All you need is some rolls of toilet paper and a willing participant. I got both my girls mummied up and now everytime they follow me into the bathroom they try to wrap themselves in toilet paper. I did have them wrap me up but I couldnt take a picture of me with my arms pinned to my sides.

Banana Boat

Nutella, which we affectionately call 'chocolate spread,'  is a fan favorite in our house. If my daughter had her way she would eat gobs of it right off the spoon for every meal. As a good mother I lovingly spread it on a piece of whole wheat bread in hopes of providing a more well balanced snack. She of course eats off the spread leaving a mangled piece of bread behind.

 

 

                        

 

 

This morning was going to be no different of course. And then, I decided to try a 'chocolate spread' sandwich with sliced bananas. It was delicious! As I sat there looking at the banana I realized that I had a new vessel for delivering the glorious Nutella. At worst I would find a mangled, mushy piece of banana left behind, probably smashed into the rug somewhere. At best I would get some fruit into that child of mine.

I quickly hollowed out the banana with a melon baller and filled it in with the Nutella. It was a moment of spontaneous genius! I had to take pictures of it to share with all of you. And yes, the pictures do look a bit creepy.

 

Hollow out the banana and fill in with nutella.

My daughter absolutely loved this! And she ate every bite of it. No smashed banana left behind!




So yummy!

Almost done and still wants more.

Enjoy!

Tic Tac Toe

 

Cracker tic-tac-toe is all about playing with your food, literally. All it takes is a little creative spirit from you and your kiddo. Your creative energy will be spent on deciding what to use as your Xs and Os. The choices are endless: cheese. hummus, peanut butter, mini pizzas, apple slices, bananas, lions, tigers, bears.... oh my! While you are struggling with this big decision the little one can be designing their game board.

What you need:

• 10 cracker game pieces (5 Xs and 5 Os) and more for eating during the game
• Choice of toppings - I used cheddar cheese and used cut outs to make the shapes.

For the game board:

• paper
• tape
• paint
• ziploc baggie

1. Place tape on a piece of paper in the shape of a tic tac toe board.
2. Have your kiddo paint all over the paper and then let it dry.
3. Peel off the tape and, voila, your game board is almost ready.
4. Use a large ziploc baggie to protect your game board from spills and messes. You can use contact paper if you've got it but, the plastic bag is so much easier!
5. Your game board is ready for playing!

 

 

I taught my little one the rules of the game which are simple; get 3 in a row. It would have gone a lot smoother if she didnt keep eating the pieces. Be sure to have some extra ones just in case your gamer gets hungry too!

So fun and easy a 3 year old can do it!

3 in a row! She wins...again!

What a game! Let's do it again.

 

PB & J Sushi Roll

Sushi comes in many shapes and sizes; making any sushi dinner exciting. But why should raw fish have all the fun?  It is time to expand the roll that sushi plays in our everyday.

If you are a parent like me then you have made a zillion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The first one as plain as the last. Let's take that ordinary PB & J and make it fun. So make tonight a sushi night, minus the spicy tuna and wasabi of course. 

Don't forget to grab your chopsticks!

What you need:

Slice of bread, with crust cut off
Peanut butter (or another favorite nut butter)
Jelly
Fruit leather


Directions:

1. Spread bread with PB & J


2. Roll out Fruit leather and cut to width of bread


3. Tightly roll up bread slice; spread ends of fruit leather with peanut butter (this keeps ends stuck to bread.)


4. Let me see that sushi roll! Cut into 1 inch slices.

FOOD PLAY:    

CHOPSTICK FISHING

Learning to use chopsticks can be exciting for a young one. For this activity fill a bowl with puff balls, cotton balls or even marshmallows and have your kiddo pick them out by color or one by one.

You will probably have to tinker with your chopsticks so that youngsters (and many adults) can use them.

1. Take chopsticks out of wrapper.

2. Disconnect chopsticks and roll up the wrapper.

3. Find yourself a rubber band.

4. Place wrapper between top of chopsticks and wrap the rubber band around it to keep it in place (the paper will act like a fulcrum for the chopsticks to open and close easily.)

A "Pizza" Art

There might not be pizzas hanging on the walls at any museum but, there could be. With a cheese pizza as your canvas anything is possible. Your aspiring artist will have fun creating their own masterpiece. The best part of all is that when they are done they get to eat it!

What you will need:

• Prebaked pizza crust
• Can of pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 orange pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow squash, sliced
• Mushrooms
• Pepperoni

Directions:

Spread the pizza sauce on the prebaked pizza crust and sprinkle mozzerella cheese on top. Your "blank canvas" is now ready.



Using the palette of colors from the veggies have your child create their own "pizza" art.

Bake the pizza according to the prebaked crust packaging instructs. When finished allow to cool and then have your own special art show before eating.

Pirates!

Squid Attack!

Get your little pirate or pirate princess ready to set sail on a new adventure.

"Shiver me timbers, its a giant squid!" This huge creature of the sea has wrapped itself around a pirate ship. The pirates scramble to get their treasure to a safe hiding spot on a deserted island before it is too late. Some lucky pirates must get their hands on that map to find that hidden treasure.

Since you would do anything for your lil landlubber you searched high and low for that map and you found it! Once your pirate pup has finished 'def-eat-ing' the squid they will need to set their sights on that treasure. (see Food Play alert below.)

What you will need:

• One hot dog
• One hot dog bun
• Ketchup and Mustard

Directions:

First, Bring a small pot of water to a boil.

Then, prepare the hot dog for its transformation.  Two inches from the top of a hot dog cut lengthwise down the dog.

Then cut each new length in half.

Finally, cut down the middle of the four lengths. Be careful not to severe any legs!

Place dog into the boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove from water and behold your Squid Dog.  Once cool enough to handle, use ketchup or mustard to create eyes and a mouth.

For full effect, place a flying Jolly Roger flag (skull and crossbones) into the hot dog bun so it resembles a pirateship.

FOOD PLAY ALERT:  A Yo-Ho-Ho Treasure Hunt

First, ensure your kid is dressed appropriately. Think: pirate hat, eye patch, parrot on the shoulder...

Once they have finished with the squid attack tell them to turn their plate over to find a treasure map (be sure to have placed this there beforehand.) Have this map lead the way until your pirate pup beholds their own special treasure. This can be anything, from a note that says "I love you" to a new toy or even a chest of gold chocolate coins.

Treasure hunt ideas:
"Shiver me timbers... when its cold outside you put me on to keep warm. Where am I?"
"Walk the plank ye scallywag... go to the place where rubber ducky falls into the water."
"Landlubbers...go to the special place where the doggy likes to sleep."

Bugs!

Escargot

 

 

Some kids love creepy, crawly spiders; some love pretty, floating butterflies; and others love anything slimey, like snails. It is for these kids that I have created the perfect lunch: Escargot. These are the kids that love to follow the oozing garden snail's trail in order to pick it up and excitingly shove it 2 inches from your nose to show you.

Would these same kids love to eat snails for lunch? Go ahead ask them if they want to eat snails and see how they react. Priceless. Escargot is a delicacy after all but I am sure that you won't find this recipe in any fancy French restaurant.

 

 

What you will need:

• 1 large tortilla
• 2 TBS hummus
•  slices of ham or turkey
• 2 slices swiss cheese
• 4 lettuce leaves
• Mini pickles

Directions:

1. Spread the hummus onto the tortilla then layer the meat, cheese and lettuce on top.
2. Roll the tortilla up tightly.
3. With the edge side facing down so as not to unwrap, cut 1" slices to reveal the pinwheel of the contents.
4. Use mini pickles for the snails head.
5. Cut small toothpicks to create the antennae.
6. Use a dot of hummus to create the eyes (dipping the eyes into poppy seeds adds a nice eye effect.)
7. Arrange on a plate with some lettuce leaves and enjoy your snails!