Summer Hot Dog Series: Bug Builder

When you have children you know that you have to feed them every. day. It becomes more breakfasts, lunches and dinners than I care to count! When the last thing that I want to do is make lunch or dinner I end up making a simple sandwich or I microwave some chicken nuggets Very uninspiring, like my mood!

What is even more uninspiring is a bunch of cut up hot dog. Wouldn't you agree? An easy way to add inspiration to a quick and easy meal is by turning a pile of meat into a bunch of bugs.

INSPIRING!

Uninspiring

What you need:
Hot Dogs
Ketchup
Candy Eyes (I got these in the baking section at Safeway)

Directions:

Boil your hot dog for about 8 minutes. Then cut your hot dog in half lengthwise and then into small pieces.

Using only half the hot dog arrange the pieces on the plate as desired. There can be super long bugs or short bugs.

Then put the ketchup into a bag and add on a small hole icing tip (is that what you call them?) and pipe on the legs, etc. I did try just squirting it out of the ketchup bottle, no bueno.

Seriously, this is easy. In this picture is my first attempt. And I did it with 2 toddlers hovering over me wanting to touch it.

This is how close I let her get to my creation. She was pretty excited about it. Actually, she was excited about eating the candy eyes. It's the little things!

Little sister was excited for real! She loves bugs and poked at these guys for a few minutes before eating every last bug part.

You can get pretty creative with your bug building. 

Post some pics of your own bugs!

Summer Hot Dog Series: The Noodle Dog

In this installment of my week long Summer Hot Dog Series I present the Noodle Dog. 

This recipe is so playful and creative that I had to include it here. It is one of those recipes that seems impossible but I can tell you without a doubt that it works. I affectionately call it the Noodle Dog.

I could have been more creative then that. But I didn't want to limit myself here. These tasty bites can look like spiders, jelly fish, or even a baby version of spaghetti locks.  I leave it up to you on how you want to present it. Whatever way you choose though you are sure to get some smiles from kiddos and grown ups alike. 

What you Need:

• Dry spaghetti noodles 
• Hot Dog

How to Construct the Noodle Dog:

First, place a pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil.

Slice up your hot dogs.

Next,  insert the noodles into the hot dog slices. The easiest way to do this quickly is to lay the sliced hot dog on a plate and to stick the dry noodles into it. It is up to you how many noodles you want to push through. I used about 8 for each slice.

Then pickup your spiky hot dog and carefully push the noodles through the dog.

















Finally, gently place your Noodle Dogs into boiling water. Boil for as long as your noodles require.


Once they are done cooking gently scoop your Noodle Dogs out of the water.








You can decide what sauce to use. Marinara is a good one as it adds some much needed vegetable to this tasty and funny dish.

-------------------Food. Play. Create.----------------

Pool Noodle Fun

What you need:

Pool Noodle and String

There are many creative ways to use the pool noodle. In this activity the grown up must cut the noodle into many pieces. You will end up with lots of rings (which are fun for stacking too!)

With a hole down the middle they are perfect for having those little hands string up the noodle. It is not about what they make but rather how they make it. Learning to thread the string through the hole takes some coordinated effort and concentration.

I tied a string to one noodle piece so that the other noodles don't fall right off. On the other end I tied a small spoon that could fit through the noodle hole to help with the stringing process (my 4 year old didn't need it but the 2 year old sure did!)

 Have your kiddo string up those rings and show off their creation with pride!

Summer Hot Dog Series: Banana Dog

Let the Summer Hot Dog Series begin!!

I thought I would start my week of hot dog inspired food with a banana. Not what you were expecting, huh? And that is what makes this all so exciting... expect the unexpected!

This is about as simple as it gets people. And I can attest to its utter tastiness. My almost 4 year old ate 1 1/2 of these the other night. And my 2 year old wolfed one down for snack (remember, she is a hobbit! See previous post for reference.) If that does not inspire you to try it out on your little one then I have nothing more for you!

So here's what it takes: hot dog bun, peanut butter and a banana. I added some cherries for pizzazz!

Spread peanut butter onto the bun.Then, to create a fun design on top of the banana add some peanut butter to a plastic baggie and cut one of the corners. Squeeze the peanut butter over the banana. Easy enough!

I did cut the Banana Dog in half to make it easier for little hands (just a suggestion!)

I also think this would taste amazing with Nutella (just another suggestion!) 

Enjoy!

One happy hobbit about to enjoy her b-dog!

Summer Hot Dog Series

Happy Summer! 

What better way to celebrate this time of year then with a work weeks worth of hot dog inspired foods. That is 5 new ways to make the hot dog a part of your summer. You are going to love it, trust me.

Let's face it, for many of us the hot dog invokes happy childhood memories! It is so quick and easy to cook that the hot dog has become a staple at all backyard BBQs, camping trips and other summertime get togethers. It is a part of our American way of life!

I have to admit though that, in general, the hot dog is pretty boring.  Just look at it...

Sure,this log of meat may get spruced up with some ketchup and mustard but that is as crazy as it gets. Poor, poor hot dog!

This is a food that is screaming for some playful creations. So, I have dedicated an incredible amount of time and energy into sprucing up the hot dog. Well, maybe not an incredible amount. More like an hour or so.  I have already added some fun thinking to the dog in a previous post, Squid Attack. Remember?

Now, I will seek to amaze you with 5 new hot dog inspired concoctions.

Here They are:

Noodle Dog

The Corn Dog, Kinda










Banana Dog

Bug Builder

Slinky Dog

Summer Hot Dog Series

Happy Summer! 

What better way to celebrate this time of year then with a work weeks worth of hot dog inspired foods. That is 5 new ways to make the hot dog a part of your summer. You are going to love it, trust me.

Let's face it, for many of us the hot dog invokes happy childhood memories! It is so quick and easy to cook that the hot dog has become a staple at all backyard BBQs, camping trips and other summertime get togethers. It is a part of our American way of life!

I have to admit though that, in general, the hot dog is pretty boring.  Just look at it...

Sure,this log of meat may get spruced up with some ketchup and mustard but that is as crazy as it gets. Poor, poor hot dog!

This is a food that is screaming for some playful creations. So, I have dedicated an incredible amount of time and energy into sprucing up the hot dog. Well, maybe not an incredible amount. More like an hour or so.  I have already added some fun thinking to the dog in a previous post, Squid Attack. Remember?

Now, I will seek to amaze you with 5 new hot dog inspired concoctions.

Pancake Bites

Our breakfast routine has become stuck in the toddler doldrums of same-old-same-old. Have any of you noticed how your kids could eat the same thing day after day after day (and watch the same episode of Sophia the First day after day after day!!)?  Our almost 4 year old, Caroline, will only eat the same old things, which includes too many frozen waffles (hockey pucks!) and too much cereal. Chocolate Rice Krispies were mandatory for a few weeks...yes, I give my kids sugary cereal. Don't judge me.

Because of this toddler fetish, I feed Catherine, the almost 2 year old, her "first breakfast" before Caroline because she will only eat what Caroline is eating (waffles and cereal!) I want her to be open to all foods before she is not.  During first breakfast she gets scrambled eggs, oatmeal, or even parfaits ("Parfaits gotta be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet!"). Afterwards Catherine gets her "second breakfast" with Caroline. Catherine is our Hobbit because she will also want Elevensies, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Supper, and Dinner.

To break out of these doldrums I am making another effort to bring back the Pancake.  In a previous post I shocked you when I said pancakes do not have to be round. Now, I will blow your mind and say that they do not have to be flat either! The result is a perfect creation of Pancake Bites. They look like muffins but they are all pancake. And sooooooo easy!

 

What You Need:

• Pancake Mix (yes, again, you can make your own mix and I am sure it will be awesome but most mornings I don't have that kind of time or energy)
• Mix ins: Blueberries, Chocolate Chips, Sprinkles, Bacon Bits
• Mini muffin pan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl as instructed on the box (or from a recipe...you go girl!)

Scoop the batter into a greased mini muffin pan. I use a small ice cream scooper to ensure all are the same size.

 

Next, add mix ins to the Pancake Bites. I used what I  had...chocolate chips, raspberries and sprinkles.

Put them in n the oven for 8- 10 minutes. But keep an eye on them as they cook fast.

 

Let them cool and serve them up with a small bowl of syrup for dipping.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are the perfect size for little fingers. And the best thing was that they ate them all up!

New Name, Same Fun

Hello!!

I am rebranding my blog.

I just wasn't a fan of the name and wanted something more creative. Luckily for my children I love their names and have not thought of rebranding them at all!

There are big plans in store for all these great recipes. I see cookbooks, TV appearances on the Disney Channel (let's face it, the woman they have on there now is awful... who thinks serving up baked cauliflower to a kid is a good idea?! Who is with me here?), and then my own show on Food Network (where are those cooking for kids shows anyways?!)

Look for some exciting changes coming up in the next weeks. And be sure to sign up to recieve my blog straight to your email. Seriously! When I become crazy famous you can say that you were with me from the beginning.

Gotta get back in the kitchen and start my next crEATion... and wash the pile of sippee cups staring at me right now.

Cheers.
Amy

Little Boxes

It has been an exciting few months! For the last year we have been trying to sell our house. Last month it finally sold and we moved into a new house. If anyone has ever tried to sell a house with toddlers you can appreciate what an enormous feat it was for me. Constantly keeping the house free of fingerprints on the glass and paint on the walls, not to mention the endless crumbs and dried juice on the floors. That playroom had to be converted back to the dining room (what a waste of perfect play space.) I dreamed of the day when we could live in our own filth. That dream has come! Lucky me.

We Moved!

During the last month there has been one real constant in my life... boxes. They were everywhere! Once I unpacked one 3 more would magically appear. We still have a garage of boxes to unpack yet we have everything we could possibly need. So the question becomes what is in those magically appearing boxes?!  I cannot answer this question but what it did provide me was inspiration for a perfectly fun snack: Little Boxes.

 

 

What you need:

• watermelon (or cantalope or honeydew or all of them)
• Peaches
• Bananas
• Avocado
• Cheese
• Bread Loaf
• basically, anything that happens to be in your fridge that can be cut into squares

this is what I managed to put together

Directions:

This is so simple that I almost dont need to provide instructions. However, I understand some of you may be sleep deprived so here goes... take whatever fruits, cheeses, breads and veggies you have gathered together and begin cutting into square pieces. Most will have rounded edges but dont you worry about that, just make a nice slice down the side to even it out. Voila you have a plate of little boxes!

 

 

Now for the fun part,  have you or your kiddo stack the boxes up into a tower or a house. Think of it as a food jenga! The different colors and textures will add a neat sensory experience too. The slimey watermelon, the sticky avocado, the smooth cheese, the dry bread... get stacking!

 

 

 

 

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