Messy Kids: food

Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Sunday, January 29, 2012

From the Heart Waffles

Breakfast is the favorite meal in our household, especially on weekends. I make crepes, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and waffles. So this morning I asked my son what it was he wanted me to cook. I suggested blueberry pancakes but he said, "no, blueberry waffles". We haven't tried this before so it was worth a shot.

As I was making the waffles, I thought about how I could make them special. My son, like most kids, loves when I make cut-outs of anything. I remembered I had a great big heart cookie cutter in the cupboard, perfect for a big waffle.

Once the waffles were finished baking in the waffle maker, I carefully peeled them off, placed them on a flat surface, and pressed the cookie cutter down to create perfect heart-shaped waffles. I set the trimmings aside because in my house, waffles are snacked upon all day long.

My son was thrilled with the fun shape, so much so he didn't want me to cut it into bite size pieces. Unfortunately for him I had already covered them with syrup and didn't want him using his hands (which he did anyway). He also wouldn't let me take a picture of him enjoying the yummy creation.

Here's what you'll need:
Waffle Maker
Bowl
Whisk
Wooden Spoon
Butter or Cooking Spray

For the Waffles:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 cup or so blueberries (frozen or fresh)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir mixture first with a wooden spoon, then with a whisk until all ingredients are well combined. Do not overmix! Batter should be slightly lumpy. Fold in blueberries until well combined.

Coat waffle iron with butter or cooking spray. A heavy coat will be needed because the blueberries stick! The size of your waffle maker will determine the amount of batter you pour onto the grids. I use about 1 cup (my maker is on the larger size)

Cook your waffle according to manufactures directions. Use a fork to remove waffle off the grid. Place on a flat surface and cut waffle with desired cookie cutter, in this case, a heart. Serve with butter, syrup, blueberries, whip cream, or any other topping of choice.

And of course, serve with LOVE.

Recipe variation based upon:
"Waffles." Recipe. Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book. Iowa: Meredith Corporation, 1989. 152-3.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

It's Playtime: This is Halloween!

I'll admit it, Halloween is my favorite day of the year. I love dressing-up, I love Candy, and I love all things spooky that go bump in the night. This week It's Playtime features my favorite Halloween activities from the past week so read on....IF YOU DARE!

Who doesn't want to serve up these Cheesy Witchy Fingers! from Mud Pies and Marmalade at their next Halloween party? Once I checked out the recipe I realized how easy they are to make. I bet they would be great served with some "bloody" pizza dipping sauce!

These adorable Tissue Paper Mummies from happy hooligans double as finger puppets. What's better is they are so simple, your little one won't have any trouble putting them together.

Make, do & friend put together this cute jack o' lantern sensory bag made with red lentils, foam shapes, and....well check out their site to find out more!

Develop some fine motor skills and sharpen creativity with these Styrofoam Monster Sculptures from The Chocolate Muffin Tree.

Don't forget to include music and rhymes into your child's playtime! Playing with words 365 posted these 10 Fall & Halloween Songs & Fingerplays for inspiration.

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."

Now, on to this weeks play date!

It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

How to Play :

* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.

* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Cooking with Kids: Applesauce

School is back in session and everybody is dusting off their apple themes for fall. This year, I'm homeschooling my son so, I too, have had to brush off my teacher hat and figure out what the heck I'm going to do. My son is not one for art, but he loves cooking, so I've made it a point to include several apple recipes in our homeschooling schedule. Last week we started off easy and made one of my son's favorite foods...applesauce.

We used an extremely simple Applesauce recipe from Allrecipes.com. I love this website because you can change the serving size and with a click of a button, the recipe will recalculate your measurements. I chose 1 serving for this project. We had several apples to choose from; Michael chose a green one.

We began by cutting our apple. We used the apple slicer together, then I gave Michael a safety knife (otherwise known as a pumpkin carving knife) so he could try to cut the apples into chunks on his own. Apple peel has a lot of nutrition, so I left it on.

Then we placed the apples into a pot and added the sugar and cinnamon.

Michael loves Sid the Science Kid. There is an episode about heat and change where Sid's preschool class makes applesauce. Michael remembered the kids trying to mash the apples before they are cooked and wanted to try it too. He discovered they were too hard to mash. We talked about how heat will change the apples, making them softer, and we'd try again after the apples had cooked. Then I added a bit of water to the apples and turned the heat on.

Michael was excited when the liquid started boiling.

Once the apples were nice and soft, Michael mashed them.

I learned that when you choose to hand mash apples, it is a good idea to remove the skin. Had I thrown the apples into a blender instead, leaving the peels on would have been OK.

Yum, yum, time to eat! Michael enjoys his tasty creation (except the peel).

Shared with:

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Monday, August 29, 2011

What's for Lunch?

With school returning next week, and a picky eater who needs a lunch, I'm all in a frazzle about what to pack for her. In the past I've qualified for discount lunches through the district, but this year our financial situation looks better on paper then it actually is, disqualifying us for reduced price lunches. I wanted to pack more lunches for her this year anyway since there are days she doesn't eat at school because she doesn't like any of the choices offered her. My daughter is a lot like I was at her age. Lunch was always a battle for my parents. I'd eat something for while, then decide I was bored, and want something else. I also didn't eat the conventional PB&J because I didn't like peanut butter until I was in my 20s. I remember eating bagel sandwiches (bagels didn't get as soggy as bread) for a while but my parents bought the cheapest lunch meat on earth so I quickly grew to despise the stuff. And I didn't eat baloney either. My parents loved when I worked in the cafeteria because it meant a month of free lunches that they didn't have to pack!

Now I am paying for all the hassle with a daughter who likes even less then I did. She won't eat PB&J but she will eat baloney. Heaven forbid I put cheese in her bag (although she loves it) because she claims that even with an ice pack, the cheese becomes "yucky". She'll sometimes eat ham, usually will eat salami, but never eats turkey. She loves grilled cheese but I can't pack that because it's "yucky" when it's cold (I don't blame her there!). Baby carrots are sometimes, crackers too, and celery is a no, no, especially spread with cream cheese or peanut butter! Do you see what I have to work with?

So I've been researching quick and easy lunches and although I may not have use for many of them, due to Miss Picky, I have found a number of great ideas the rest of you may enjoy. I'd also love to hear from you all dear readers what you pack for you picky lunch eater. It just may help!

My ideas for this coming year:

Homemade Lunchables- crackers (my kids like Ritz), cheese slices (or not if they get "yucky"), and a favorite lunch meat such as baloney or salami (or turkey or ham, whatever your child will eat). Pair with whatever healthy food you can get your child to eat, such as fresh fruit and baby carrots.
Homemade Pizza Pockets- My bread machine came with a great recipe for pizza dough but you could use refrigerator dough or your favorite recipe. Roll dough to a long oval type shape (for whatever size pocket you think is best for your child. This will take experimentation!) Spread with pizza sauce and top with whatever your child likes on their pizza plus cheese. Fold dough over creating a half circle shape (or calzone shape) and seal edges with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minuets if calzone sized. Less time if making a much smaller pocket. This is a recipe you must play with. I'm still adjusting mine as my pockets are still coming out bigger then what I'd want to pack my daughter. You can make these a head of time, reheat in the morning and wrap in foil to keep warm until lunch.
Homemade muffins such as blueberry, zucchini (sneaking in veggies!) or apple packed alongside carrots or other veggies. There are so many recipes out there reducing the amount of sugar that with a little research, you can find something that fits your lifestyle. Most kids are more active at school so don't be afraid to give them carbs! They will burn it off!
Cold noodles packed alongside fresh fruit and veggies. Cold noodles was my stable in high school. I LOVED them! My daughter likes them a little less, but sitting in her lunch box, they won't really be "cold" anymore. Use fun noodle shapes or spirals, then you don't really have to pack a fork! I think this will be a hit this year.
Hotdogs- Cook them in the morning and pack alongside a bun or slice of bread, packets of catchup and mustard, plus veggies and fresh fruit. Or maybe you have a child that likes cold food. When I was younger I liked cold and frozen hotdogs. Give it a try!

Veggie Options:

carrot sticks or baby carrots
jicama (My daughter discovered this over the summer and loved it. It's crunchy and sweet!)
celery sticks (add peanut butter or cream cheese for added nutrition)
sugar snap peas
red, yellow, or orange bell pepper slices (also sweet and crunchy)
mini trees (broccoli)

Lunch ideas from around the web:

Easy Lunchboxes: Bent on Better Lunches
20 Easy Bento Lunch Boxes: Parenting
DIY Hotpockets: Quirkymomma
Strawberry & Cream Cheese Sandwich: Eating Well
Sandwiches for School: Disney Family Fun
Lunchbox Planning from Momtrends: Today's Mama

Thursday, July 28, 2011

It's Playtime: Fabulous Favorites #2

Once again, I'm proud to host our readers' favorite posts from last weeks It's Playtime. This includes the blogs which were viewed or "liked" the most on the linky.

Play Create Explore topped our views last week with these lovely, rainbow, Playdough Filled Balloons. Fun for the kids and good stress relief for mom. I love the rainbow colors!

Our own co-hostess, Quirky momma, was popular this week with her Hairy Hotdogs! This yummy meal combines two child favorites: pasta and hotdogs! What's not to love??? A great meal for when mommy and daddy need a night out and the 16 year old babysitter is cooking.

Another top viewed post is this Salt Painting from Lightning Bug Literacy. The colored rock salt reminds my of little gems; like something you would see in pirate treasure. A great sensory/art project for little hands!

Seems many of you clicked over to Praises of a Wife and Mommy to learn how to make your own Puffy Paint. This is a great recipe because I guarantee that most of you have these items laying around the house! I usually find the best art supplies are those you don't have to buy.

Those of us who have been working with kids along time have made sensory bottles at one time or another. Well Come Together Kids stepped up the oil and water bottle idea by adding Alka Seltzer tablets, creating a DIY Lava Lamp.

So now your done with those Playdough Filled Balloons, right? Wrong! Share & Remember showed us how to reuse sensory balloons to create beautiful Sensory Balloon Paintings. Easy to hold, fun to squish, and perfect for creating unique process art!

And just when we thought cardboard boxes couldn't be any more fun, An Amazing Child gave us one more thing to do with them...A Messy Painting Box! A contained space for art exploration; what a wonderful idea! Now where can I get a new box?????

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."

Now, on to this weeks play date!

It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

How to Play :

* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.
* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Do Something! Fun with Food!

It's the weekend! Time to Do Something! This week we are having fun fun with food. Painting, cooking, playing, and having an all around good time with it. So grab the kiddos and head to the kitchen because it's time to Do Something!

Marshmallows- Not Just for Eating: The Happy Home Fairy

A list of a list you might say. The Happy Home Fairy put together a list of fantastic ideas for playing with marshmallows.

Fruity Banana Boat: Kiboomu!

Pudding Painting: A Teacher at Heart

Beach Bucket Cake: Sun Scholars

Dinosaur Snacks: The Amazing Mess

Pudding Fingerpaint: The Seeds Network

Hairy Hotdogs: Quirky Momma

Make Your Own Gummy Candy: Pink and Green Mama

Stirring and Mixing: hands on: as we grow

Now you have permission to play with your food! I hope you and your kids enjoy these food related ideas.

Do you have an idea to share? Feel free to let me know! Leave a comment with your idea or link to one so I can check it out. Maybe you'll be featured too in a future Do Something!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching, so I decided to compile a list of ideas, some my own, the rest from other fantastic bloggers, to share with those around me. Think of it as a one stop shop for ideas from around the net!

Science:

Shamrock Crystals from Housing a Forest
Green Carnations: Purchase several white carnations. Fill a clear vase (or several) with water and add several drops of green food coloring to the water. Trim the stems of the carnations and place them in the vase(s). Within several hours the carnations begin to show a green coloring. Over several days they should turn a nice shade of green (or at least the edges of the petals will turn green). Explain to the children that plants drink water to stay alive. The water moves from the root system up the stem and into the blooms. The technical term is transpiration. Don't be afraid to use this term. You'd be surprised what the kids will retain!

Literacy:

Read The Night Before St. Patrick's Day (Reading Railroad) by Natasha Wing and The Luckiest St. Patrick's Day Ever by Teddy Slater. After wards talk to the kids about Leprechauns. Ask them questions and write down the answers. Then have them help you design a Leprechaun trap. Ask them what they think they will need, what it should look like, and anything else you can think of. Older kids can try to draw a picture of their trap. Then over several days, build a trap so it will be ready for the big day (don't forget to take pictures!). After that, what you do with it, is up to you. I suggest pretending the Leprechaun got away but maybe he left something for the kids?
How to Catch a Leprechaun from Happy Home Fairy: Directions, ideas, and several different Leprechaun traps to share with your class or child.
Head over to Teaching 2 Mommies and print out the Clover Letter Match, Leprechaun Beginning Writing, and Clover Spelling Puzzle.

Art/Fine Motor:

Leprechaun Feet: This is my favorite! I wrote this article for Shoe Painting over at eHow. Follow the directions but use green paint, yellow or white paper, and gold glitter. So much fun but you will have a mess!
Color mixing coffee filter shamrocks: Cut out clovers shapes from coffee filters, enough for each child. Give participating children a cup of blue water and a cup of green with a dropper in each (if at home, medicine droppers work nicely). If using food coloring, the water should have a higher concentration of drops so the color will be more vibrant. Test it out first. Have the children drop the colored waters onto the coffee filter shamrock and watch as the two colors blend. Some may be more blue or yellow then green, but that's OK. This is their project, not yours! Let the shamrocks dry in the sun then hang in the window for display.

Variations:

Use a paint brush to drip the colored water onto the shamrock.
Let the kids color the shamrocks with blue and yellow markers. Give the children water and a brush and let them "paint" over the marker. Watch as the colors blend!

"Magic" Crayon Rubbing Shamrocks: Using index cards or posterboard cut out several shamrock shapes of varying size. With hot glue, outline each shamrock with a thick layer of glue. Allow to dry. Once glue is hard, tape the shamrocks to the table (to prevent movement). Give the children copy paper and crayons with the wrapper peeled off (which you could let them do; they'd love it!) and show them that if they place the paper over the shamrocks and rub the crayon over the bumps, the shamrock will magically appear. This is a project that is both frustrating and rewarding for the children. Crayon rubbing is a practiced skill and depending on the age, the child may find it difficult. Simply be encouraging and what ever they come up with on their project, just let it be. Some may decide to just scribble on their paper in the end, and that's OK too
Shamrock Splatter Paint: Over at Amazing Moms they created a St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Card using a splatter paint technique involving toothbrushes.
Cookie cutter prints: Using paint (green, yellow, and/or white) allow children to stamp shamrock shaped cookie cutters onto paper. Sprinkle with glitter for added fun.
St. Patrick's Windsock: Decorate construction paper using the cookie cutter prints (above). Along the bottom of the sheet of paper, have the children glue strips of green or rainbow colored streamers so they are hanging down. When glue is dry, roll construction paper into a cylinder shape and staple. Tie string or yarn at the top so the wind sock can be hung or the children can run with it in the wind.
Handprint Leprechauns from Meet the Dubiens.
Rainbow Hangers: Cut out cloud shapes from white construction paper. Supply children with streamers in rainbow colors and have them glue the streamers to the cloud so the streamers are hanging down. Hang clouds around the classroom.

Math:

Teaching 2 Mommies has you covered with several math printables.

Cooking:

Lil' Luna posted some cute St. Patrick's Food Fun Ideas.
Sun Scholars made Ice Cream Leprechauns.
How about some healthy, dye-free Green Eggs from Super Healthy Kids!
Healthy Green Food St. Patrick's Day Recipe Roundup from Food with Kid Appeal.
Cooking with Kids: Naturally Green from Messy Kids.

Sensory:

Green Shaving Creme: add some green food coloring or liquid watercolors to shaving cream and let the children play. If you add a bit of glue and give them construction paper it can be an art project too!
Place Easter grass or shredded green paper in the sensory table. Add some fake gold coins and let the children go on a treasure hunt.
Green and Gold Sensory Tub from No Time For Flash Cards
Green Goo: mix 1 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water and a few drops of green color. Let the children explore the goo with spoons and their fingers.

I hope you will find use for all of these projects. And please feel free to add more in the comment section. I'd love to hear from you!

Messy Kids

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