Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Monday, April 5, 2010

April Fool's With a Vengeance

So you were pranked by your family last April Fool's and this has led you to device your own pranks for next year. But why wait? The best tricks come when you least expect it!

Well technically, it's still April and it is called April Fool's. So who says you can only prank people on April 1? Try these Foolproof Food Pranks from Disney Family Fun and have some lighthearted fun with your family:

COLORFUL CUPCAKES
The first surprise here: there's not a grain of sugar in these cupcakes. The second surprise: your kids will love them anyway.



Ingredients:

MEATLOAF
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

POTATO FROSTING
3 cups mashed potatoes
food coloring

Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin tin cups with foil bake cups.

2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the meat loaf ingredients until well combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the lined cups (the liners should be about three quarters full).

3. Place the filled muffin tins on cookie sheets and bake the cupcakes for about 15 minutes or until cooked through.

4. Divide the mashed potatoes among three small bowls and stir a few drops of food coloring into each batch to create blue, yellow, and pink pastel frostings. Spread a generous dollop on each cupcake. Makes 12 cupcakes.

GELLED JUICE
A thirsty family member is the perfect target for this glassful of trickery that's impossible to drink. And since the undrinkable beverage is made by the batch, you'll be able to fool more than one person.



Ingredients:
lemon-flavored gelatin
red food coloring

Instructions:
Following the package directions, mix up a box of lemon-flavored gelatin (we added a drop of red food coloring to darken it). Pour the mixture into clear glasses and insert a drinking straw into each. Place the glasses in the refrigerator to set. When they're ready, serve the jiggling juice to the next parched target (or two!) looking for a cool drink.

FAKIN' AND EGGS
Trick your family with a tiny breakfast that's really a cleverly disguised dessert.


Ingredients:

FOR THE EGGS
3 tablespoons white chocolate chips
12 yellow M&Ms

FOR THE FAKIN'
1 square caramel
1 Tootsie Roll Midgee

Instructions:
1. For the eggs: Melt the white chocolate chips according to the package directions. Transfer the melted chocolate to a ziplock bag and snip off a corner.

Squeeze nickel-size portions of the chocolate onto a sheet of waxed paper, then gently press a yellow M&M, letter side down, into the center of each. Let the candies cool. Makes 12 eggs.

2. For the fakin': Remove the wrapping from a square caramel and a Tootsie Roll Midgee. Microwave the candies for 4 seconds to make them soft. Use your thumb and forefinger to slightly flatten each candy piece, then press them together.

Halve the candy, then stack and press the pieces into alternating layers.

Slice a 1/4-inch-wide piece from the stack. Pinch and stretch the piece lengthwise into a flat bacon strip, then cut it in half. Add ripples to each half by gently bending the edges. Makes 3 strips (6 pieces).

Have some food fun and let me know how your tasty little vengeance turns out!

Cheerios!
Rach

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Kids in the Kitchen

Curiosity never fails to get the better of kids! They just HAVE to try doing everything. Don't let that wonderful energy go to waste. Ask them to help you out in the kitchen with super fun and super easy recipes.

One, it's a perfect opportunity for some mom-and-kids bonding time. Two, you can watch them like a hawk because they are working right there with you. Three, this can hopefully "train" them to think that helping out is actually fun and not a boring chore (1000 points for you!)

I found a site called MomsWhoThink where you can find a treasure trove of easy-to-do recipes. Check out the section for Kids Recipes and choose from a long list of awesome recipes that you and your kids can do!

These are just two of my favorites:

Volcanoes in the Microwave

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons peanut butter
4 large marshmallows
red sprinkles
whipped cream

Directions:
1. Cut a hole in the middle of each of the marshmallows. Fill each with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter. Pour sprinkles on top.
2. Place marshmallows on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 50 seconds, watching the "volcanoes" erupt.
3. Put a circle of whipped cream on the outside of the plate. Serve.

Octopus Dogs

Ingredients:
6 hot dog buns
6 hot dogs
1 can chili

Directions:
1. About 1-inch from one end of a hot dog, start a slit that goes vertically to the other end.
2. Turn a quarter turn and make another slit. Keep making slits until you have eight "tentacles" for the hot dog.
3. Boil and the hot dog will look like an octopus. Serve with the head up and the tentacles spread out over an open hot dog bun that has chili on it.

Check out other fun recipes here!