April Fool's Pizza

I saw this on Kiboomu, and loved it so much that I thought I'd share it here!

What You Need: Yellow Cake Mix (and ingredients), Strawberry jelly/jam/preserves, white chocolate, red Fruit Roll-Ups, yellow and green gummy bears

What To Do: Bake cake according to box. Once cool level off the top of the cake. Spread strawberry jelly over the cake. Grate the chocolate and sprinkle on top of the jelly. Decorate with candy toppings.


Kiboomu has MANY MANY other fake food projects, from fish sticks and mashed potatoes, to spaghetti and meatballs!

Foil Wrapped Pineapple Chicken

This quick lunch or dinner is great for parties and bar-b-ques  or anything else where time is not on your side. Plus kids will love the individual pouches.  Easy to make fun for kids!

It's also another way to utilize the Hoisin sauce from the Chinese Chicken recipe.

What You Need:
Chicken Breast cut into chunks
Pineapple chunks
Minced garlic 1 tsp
Soy Sauce 2 tbsp
Hoisin Sauce 4 tbsp
Onion Powder
Ground Ginger
Black Pepper
Chives 1/2 tsp
Corn Starch 1 tsp
Honey
aluminum foil

What To Do: In a bowl mix Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, minced garlic, cornstarch and chives. Sprinkle Onion powder, ginger, pepper, and a few squirts of honey into the mix. Mix well. Add chicken and pineapple chunks. Mix well and let marinate in the refrigerator at least 20 minutes -(the longer the better) Cut aluminum foil into squares so that when a pouch is formed it will sit in your palm.

Spoon chicken mixture into the center of the foil square and join the edges to make a pouch. Make sure to get some sauce in there, this will help keep chicken moist.

Place the pouches in a pan and cook for 40 mins in a 350 degree over.  Or Place them on a hot grill for 30 minutes.  Try not to over cook or the chicken will dry out.


Let cool and serve.

Fun with Pen & Paper

You don't need a lot of fancy toys to have big fun. Here are three activities for you and your little ones and all you need is a crayon and a sheet of paper (or more for more fun!) These are also great if you have to take your kids to work and they need something to do!


Copy Cat - Give each person a sheet of paper and a crayon. The first person draws a shape. Everyone else then has to copy that shape on their own sheet. The next person adds to the drawing, everyone then copies that on their sheet. Continue until everyone has had a turn or keep going until everyone decides that the picture is complete. Notice how similar yet different everyone's picture is.

There once was a Girl... - Again give each person a sheet of paper and access to crayons. Everyone then has to draw the following sentence: There once was a girl, who lived in a house, under a tree, next to a river.  (You can say the whole sentence at once or one piece at a time). Again compare and contrast how different their girls, houses, trees, and rivers are.  You can try these other sentences:
There once was a boy wearing a hat who lived on a farm with lots of animals.
There once was a frog, who lived on a rock next to a lake with lots of birds.
There once was a puppy who was digging a hole next to some flowers in the backyard.
Or Make up your own!

Three Piece Suit - Give each person a piece of paper and a crayon. Fold the paper into three sections. On your piece of paper draw a head and shoulders in the top section making sure the shoulder lines go just slightly over the fold. Decorate it how ever you'd like 2 eyes, 1 eye, 6 eyes! no mouth, curly hair whatever you'd like. It could be a potato head, a lions head anything goes! When you're done fold your paper so that the next section shows but not the head. Switch with another person. Now everyone draws the torso of whatever character they'd like: it doesn't  have to be the same one you drew before, again anything goes. No arms, six arms, fur, a dress, a bow-tie. Again draw all the way to the hips making sure the lines go just slightly over the fold. Fold the page again and switch: now everyone draws legs and feet being as creative as they want.  When everyone is done unfold the pages and see what kind of Creations you've come up with!

Rocket-ship Fruit Skewers

A summery fun way to get kids to eat (and play with) their fruit!

What You Need: Fruit any kind: Strawberries, Bananas, Watermelons, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Peaches, Plums, Cherries, Pineapples.... really any kind; Skewers or Chopsticks if you have small children

What To Do: layout the fruit and let the children build a rocket ship, using a Banana or Strawberry tip as the nose of the rocket. 

Then Eat!

Homemade Miniature Golf

What You Need:

metal curtain rod - separated to make 2 clubs

newspaper

old socks

a high bounce ball/tennis ball/ or handball

a shoebox

What To Do:

Make the clubs by separating the curtain rod and covering the ends with newspaper. Pad it up good for safety and to give kids a large area to strike the ball with. Cover the newspaper with a pair of old socks - one on each end. This is also a good way to help distinguish clubs - your club has your socks on it.

Use the shoebox as the hole, but cutting an archway into one end, and you are ready to play.

Indoors you can use furniture, shoes, cups, broomsticks etc as obstacles. Outdoors grass and concrete can act as rough and fairway, trees, hula hoops, buckets, etc can be obstacles. Make your course as easy or as hard as you want. Just place the shoebox down, arrange obstacles and putt!

Chunky Chinese Chicken

This is a recipe that my Dad has been making for years and years. I loved it as a kid and now my kid loves it! It's really easy and only needs a few ingredients.

What You Need:

4 Chicken breast or boneless thighs- cut into large chunks

eggs - beaten

flour

Hoisin sauce

three tsp (or packets) of soy sauce

powdered sugar

oil

What To Do:

Bread the chicken by dipping in the egg and then dredging in the flour. In a large saute pan heat the oil and then cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and let drain. when the oil has cooled a bit you want to discard it and wipe the pan quickly with a paper towel. Over a low heat, add the soy sauce to the pan. Then add one heaping tablespoon of Hoisin Sauce and stir. Once combined, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar and mix well. Add the chicken back into the pan and stir until well coated. It won't look like enough sauce but keep mixing.

Serve with white rice and vegetables - broccoli, carrots or snow-pea pods work best.

Note: Hoisin sauce can be found near the Soy Sauce in most Supermarkets. And you can easily adjust the amount of each ingredient to suit your families taste!

Coconut Shrimp

This recipe combines two of my toddlers favorite things, shrimp and food he can eat with his hands! This coconut shrimp is a great kid-friendly dinner and a jaw-dropping appetizer when guest come over. It's quick, easy, and delicious!

What You Need: Shrimp -thawed, shelled & de-veined, flour, flaked coconut, eggs, breadcrumbs, oil for frying.

What To Do: Set up an assembly line with three small bowls. In the first bowl put some flour, in the second two lightly beaten eggs, and in the last combine the coconut and some unseasoned bread crumbs. Going down the assembly line, dredge shrimp in flour, then dip in the eggs and cover with the coconut mixture. Once all the shrimp are done, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add shrimp to pan and cook until golden brown on all sides. It only takes a minute so be mindful.

Serve with an Orange Marmalade as a dipping sauce and enjoy!

Stuffed Bread

I learned this recipe a few summers ago from my friend Dorothy. It's is so easy but seems so complicated. Its a one dish dinner with endless variations!

What You Need: cooked Chicken strips (they sell precooked strips or you can grill a chicken breast and slice it), your favorite shredded cheeses, chopped broccoli and carrots, a tube of crescent rolls or croissants

What to Do: Preheat oven to 350. Roll out the crescent roll dough on to a cookie sheet and press the dough to get rid of the perforations. In a bowl mix the chicken, cheese, broccoli and carrots. Place the mixture on top of the dough and then pull the ends of the dough to meet. press firmly so that it will bake closed.

Bake until the dough is golden brown.

Slice and serve.

Variations: You can stuff your bread with whatever you'd like, the trick is to make sure the meat is cooked before placing it in the dough. Try:

-spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese and meatballs.

-strips of steak, mushrooms and onions.

-shrimp and squash seasoned with sage.

This is also a great way to convert leftovers into a new dish. Use leftover roast chicken instead of grilled chicken breast, or chop up leftover meatloaf and mix with softened potatoes and onions and gravy.

Pepper Steak

A quick meal for any night of the week that's not chicken.... and minimal dishes!

1 - steak cut into strips
2- bell peppers cut into strips
1- medium onion cut into strips
1/2 can of beef broth
2 tbsps of soy sauce
1 tbsp of cornstarch
garlic powder
ginger-optional


Sprinkle steak strips with garlic powder, cornstarch and ginger and cook in a skillet over medium heat until brown. Add the peppers and onions and cook a few minutes more. Stir in beef broth, and soy sauce. Mix and let cook until sauce thickens.

Serve over white rice.

Date Night? Add a splash of cooking Sherry.

Enjoy!

Arroz Con Pollo in the Slow Cooker

This is a super simple, super quick way to make this classic Latin dish. Flavorful, delicious and kid-friendly.


one chicken thigh per person
1 small onion
2 bell peppers (green & red)
1 packet of Spanish Style yellow rice
1 packet of Sazon seasoning
1 spoonful chopped garlic
2 cans of chicken broth (2-3 cups)
(optional a spoonful each of Sofrito & Recaito you can find them in the Spanish Foods aisle)


Chop the onion, and bell peppers into small pieces. Dump everything but the rice into the slow cooker and cook until the meat is fall off the bone tender. (If you have you have smaller kids you can take out the bones or use boneless thighs.) Pour in the rice and allow it to cook absorbing up all the liquid. Once rice is cooked, stir and serve. And that's it!

Fancy-Schmancy Chicken Cordon Bleu

I've stolen this recipe from my mother. It's a super easy way to make a dish that kids LOVE, but that can be dressed up for grown ups as well.

chicken breast or boneless thighs (one for each person)
a can of cream of chicken soup
slices of ham* (again one for each person)
slices of provolone cheese* (one for each person)
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
flour for dredging
cooking twine or toothpicks
2 tbsp cooking oil

Pound the chicken until it is thin and tender then season both sides with pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Layer the ham and cheese on the chicken and roll it up securing it with the cooking twine or toothpicks (try to make sure the cheese is tucked in completely). Dredge the rounds in the flour making sure to coat them all the way around. Heat a saute/frying pan with oil. Add chicken and cover to allow chicken to cook on the inside. Turn the chicken as necessary to get golden brown on all sides. Once chicken is cooked through remove from pan. Cut the cooking twine or remove the tooth picks.

While chicken is cooking heat the Cream of Chicken soup in a small pot. Arrange chicken on individual or serving plates and drizzle them with warm soup; Or add the can of soup to the empty saute pan after the chicken is done cooking, heat then replace the chicken and smother it in sauce.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and whatever vegetable your kids will eat (Broccoli works well).

Date Night/Dinner Party? Serve with grilled asparagus to take this from kiddie to classic.

*Use Virginia or Honey/Maple Ham for added flavor. Swiss or Mozzarella cheese can be substituted but tend to melt quicker than the chicken can cook. If you're using these, buy a block instead of slices and wrap chicken and ham around small "logs".

Convertable Chicken Cacciatore

I love this recipe because I can make it a variety of different ways depending on who's eating and how much time I have to cook.

Ingredients:
1-can diced tomatoes
6 chicken parts (legs, thighs, or breast or any combination)
1-can chicken broth
1-diced onion
2-chopped bell peppers (green & yellow for color)
1-bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1-teaspoon oregano

Throw it all in the Slow Cooker for 6 hours. When the chicken is cooked, turn onto high and uncover to let some of the liquid cook out. Serve over rice or pasta.

No, Slow Cooker? Brown the chicken in two tablespoons of olive oil then remove chicken and set aside. In the same pan, cook onion, peppers, and garlic until the onions soften. Then dump in the tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf and oregano and simmer. Add the chicken back into the sauce, bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Let cook for 45-50 minutes or until chicken is tender. Serve over rice or pasta.

Date Night? Add a 1/2 cup of white wine to the recipe.

Enjoy!