Culinary Kids By David Beart At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Simple and Whimsical Ways To Play with Your Food

We are all guilty of flipping through the latest issue of Parent’s Magazine and admiring the adorable birthday cakes that grace the center pages. They look so cute! They look so delicious! They look simple! That is until we take a glance at the directions .. . and then? They look so “never-gonna-happen”.

If you don’t have the time to devote to fantastical creations that take hours to complete, you aren’t alone. In fact, the last time I cooked a “homemade” cake, I have to admit, it came from the bakery section of our local Wal-Mart. The good news is, there is “homemade” hope for we culinary underachievers.

If you are a stovetop slacker too, read on to find some fabulously simple recipes sure to please.

Caterpillar Cupcakes

Put your patterns and umpteen ingredients away all you chefs of the world. In the eyes of your little ones, our easy as pie caterpillar cupcakes will rival the likes of Emeril’s greatest hits. Bam!

Simply grab a box of cake mix and whip up a dozen cupcakes. While allowing them to cool, mix a few drops of green food coloring into a tub of vanilla icing. Once your cupcakes are cool enough, ice each one.

Now for the fun part, arrange the cupcakes in a wiggly row along the table. Allow the kids to place licorice strands on each cupcake for the legs. Decorate the “face” cupcake using your child’s favorite candies for a nose, eyes and mouth.

Helpful Hint- Have multiple children? Avoid the fight over the candy decorated “face” by dividing the cupcakes into threes to create smaller, multiple caterpillars .. . and happier kids in the process.

Gummy Bear Popcorn

Have a teddy bear that dotes on all things whimsical? Make movie night extra special with this simple recipe that takes all of three minutes to create.

Start by popping a bag of unbuttered popcorn. After cooking time, open the bag and toss in a small bag of chocolate chips. Close the bag and give a good shake. Pour the popcorn into colorful bowls and add a handful of gummy bears to the mix. This treat is a match made in sweet-treat heaven and it’s perfect for sharing!

Dino Dig Sundaes

Looking for a whimsical snack for your little archeologist? Pop in the Land Before Time and whip up these Dino Dig Sundaes for a themed treat he’ll ask for again and again. Simply place a scoop of ice-cream into a bowl, top with smashed Oreo cookies for the “dirt” and finish off with a dino-shaped cookie or gummy.

Can’t find any dinosaur shaped treats? Whoppers make for great dinosaur eggs!

Scrumptious Seaweed Dinner

A lot more appetizing than it sounds, all it takes is a package of ramen noodles, a hotdog and a dollop of mustard.

Start out by warming the hotdog and cooking up the noodles. Drain the noodles well and coat with the provided mix and a few drops of green food coloring. Place them on a plate while you work on your hotdog “Octopus”.

To make the octopus all you need to do is create four slits in the bottom half of the hotdog for “arms.” Spread each one out onto the top of the Ramen and it will stand freely. Finish off with a few dollops of mustard for eyes and viola! You have an instant seaweed dinner your little diver is sure to gulp right up!

Haunted Punch

Perfect for Halloween but magical for anytime of the year, our haunted punch will have your little ones spellbound. Simply take a clean plastic glove and fill it with water or juice, tying it off at the end like a balloon. Then, allow it to freeze overnight.

Mix a little fruit punch into a large bowl along with a can of pineapple juice. Remove the glove from the freezer and peel away the plastic. Ta-da! An instant floating “idle hand” for your punch bowl!

When it comes to culinary fun, a simple creative inch goes a long way. Get the little ones involved. Try new things, dream up new possibilities and if all else fails .. . have a food fight! It’s the most underrated culinary experience of all!

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