KID FRIENDLY RECIPES
by Stacy Carroll
It seems like the world has changed significantly since my last article; I had plans to share quick and easy breakfast ideas for when we are on the run to work and school. I will save those recipes for a later date, when maybe our lives are back to normal, hopefully soon! Anyway, I changed my mind and searched my pinterest boards for some kid friendly recipes that I have tried for my nephew.
Kids can help make these recipes and older kids could make them on their own when they are home. Even little kids can help with the Bug Snacks and make the bird feeders. I figured everyone must have a lot of toilet paper rolls around with the shortage of toilet paper, so we might as well put them to good use. I think spring is a good time to start feeding the birds, as they are busy building nests and families so they are looking for food!
I hope you and your family enjoy these recipes while you are home social distancing. Stay healthy everyone!
Deep Dish Mini Pizzas
Total Time25 mins
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
1 pkg. Crescent rolls
Pepperoni Slices
Grated Mozzarella Cheese
1 small can of Pizza Sauce
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Lay the crescent roll dough on a cookie sheet and cut out 12 circles or 12 squares (if you want larger pizza muffins). Place the dough at the bottom of each muffin cup. Add a layer of cheese, a spoon of pizza sauce to cover the cheese, another layer of cheese and your favorite toppings. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes until the cheese starts to bubble and the crust is golden brown. This is great for using up leftovers from taco night or letting kids pick their own toppings.
Source: onelittleproject.com
Back Yard Bug Snacks
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
For Butterflies:
celery stalks
peanut butter
mini pretzels
candy eyes
For Caterpillar:
grapes
wooden skewers
candy eyes
icing gel or edible black marker
For Ladybug:
Crackers
Cheese
grape tomatoes
black olives
candy eyes
icing gel or edible black marker
Instructions:
For Butterfly
Rinse and cut your celery into 3-4 inch stalks. Apply peanut butter in the middle and insert two mini pretzels. Then add two candy eyes.
For Caterpillar
Rinse and dry about 20 grapes. Carefully poke the grapes onto the skewer. Using the icing gel, draw a smile. Then add two candy eyes.
For Ladybug
Use your cracker as a guide to size your cheese. Place the cheese on top of the cracker. Cut grape tomato almost in half, leaving a tiny connection at one end. Open and lay flat on the cheese. Cut a black olive in half and place upside down at top of the tomato. Place the eyes in side the black olive and add the spots with icing gel.
Be creative: Use other candies or chocolate chips for the eyes if you don’t have candy eyes. Use red and green grapes and have the kids alternate the colors. Try using babybel cheese and cutting it into slices for the ladybug and use string cheese cut into rounds for the eyes, or a pickle for the head. I would use balsamic vinegar for the ladybug dots but you could leave them off. Add lettuce and salami to the cracker to make a little sandwich for lunch or snacks.
Mini Corn Dog Muffins
Makes 48 mini muffins
Ingredients:
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 t. baking soda
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine butter and sugar in a bowl then whisk to combine. Add eggs then whisk, and then add buttermilk and whisk to incorporate. In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, cornmeal, flour, and salt then stir to combine. Whisk into wet ingredients in two batches. Spray a mini muffin tin very well with non-stick spray then spoon 1 Tablespoon batter into each mini muffin cup. Place one hot dog bite into the middle of each cup. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown. Cool in mini muffin tin for 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator then re-heat for 20-30 seconds before serving. I like to use prepackaged corn muffin mix for this also, but if you have the ingredients the homemade is better, instead of going out for ingredients.
Source: iowagirleats.com
Mini Mac & Cheese with Broccoli
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 30 mini mac & cheese bites or 10 regular-size muffin cups
Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
2 c. elbow macaroni (8 ounces)
1 1/2 c. tiny broccoli florets
2 T. unsalted butter
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 c. milk, warmed
2 c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
4 eggs, beaten
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 30 cups of a mini muffin pan with cooking spray (or 10 to 12 cups of a regular muffin tin). Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the pasta from the water and drain well. Bring the water back to a boil and blanch the broccoli until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well; in the same saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the milk while whisking constantly. Continuing to whisk, slowly add the cheeses until smooth. Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat, add the eggs and cooked broccoli to the pasta, and mix well. Spoon the pasta mixture into about 30 of the mini muffin cups (or 10 to 12 regular muffin cups), filling them to the top. Bake until crisp and browned around the edges and bubbling, about 10 minutes for minis, a little longer for regular-size ones. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing. Try different cheeses or add bacon or cooked chicken to these also.
Source: Momskitchenhandbook
Bird Feeder
Peanut Butter
Toilet Paper Rolls
Birds Seed
Spread peanut butter on empty toilet paper rolls, and then roll in bird seed. This works best to do over newspaper and a large container for birdseed. Pick seed that attracts small birds since large birds won’t be able to land on the feeder. Either stick your completed feeder through a tree branch or run twine through the tube to hang in a tree.
