Food Flight

Hot Air Balloon

Tomato, sliced

Mozzarella cheese

Zucchini, cut into thin strips

Triscuit crackers

Decorate each slice of tomato with diamond-shaped slices of mozzarella, then connect the "balloon" to the "basket" (Triscuit cracker) with zucchini strips. Make a garland for the basket with a slice of cheese or zucchini, and add some color with a stripe of squash or tomato.

Recipe and picture from Parents Magazine

Say That 10xs Fast

Funny Face Franks

2 slices white bread

1 cheese single

1 hot dog, cut lengthwise in half

2 black olive slices

1 carrot slice

1 small tomato wedge

1/4 cup shredded lettuce

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Fill bread slices with cheese singles. Trim crusts, rounding off corners to make circular sandwich. Spray both sides of sandwich with cooking spray; place on baking sheet.

Wrap hot dog halves, cut-sides in, around edge of sandwich. Secure with wooden toothpicks.

Bake 8 minutes or until golden brown, turning after 4 minutes. Place on serving plate. Discard toothpicks. Decorate sandwich with remaining ingredients to resemble a face.

Recipe and picture from KraftFoods.com

Old Time Favorite Updated

Red Ants on a Log

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup low-fat yogurt

Dash of salt

1 teaspoon orange zest, minced

1 or 2 bunches of celery, washed and trimmed

1/2 cup dried cranberries

In a mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth, then pour in yogurt, salt, and zest and blend until smooth. Cut celery stalks into 3-inch logs. Empty cream cheese mixture into a ziplock bag and snip off a corner to make an instant piping bag. Pipe the mixture onto the logs and sprinkle dried cranberries atop the mixture.

Recipe and picture from CookPlayExplore.com

National Grapefruit Month

Grapefruit Gals

Grapefruit

Grapes

Maraschino cherry

Raisins or banana

Arrange red or green grape clusters around the top for hair.

Add red grape eyes, a maraschino cherry nose and a big grin made of raisins or bananas.

Recipe and picture from FamilyFun.go.com

Scoop of Fun!

Bugle Cones

2 tablespoons butter (no substitutes), softened

1-1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

1 package (6 ounces) Bugles

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted, optional

Assorted colored and chocolate sprinkles and/or ground nuts

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in salt and vanilla. Add condensed milk (mixture will be stiff). Shape into 1/2-inch balls. Place one ball on top of each Bugle. dip the tops of some or all in melted chocolate if desired. Decorate with sprinkles and/or nuts.

Yield: 2-1/2 dozen

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com

Sam I Am

Easy Alphabet Pancakes

2 cups bisquick mix

1 cup milk

2 eggs

Brush griddle or skillet with vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray; heat griddle to 375 degrees or heat skillet over medium heat.

In medium bowl, stir ingredients until blended.

If desired, pour 1/2 cup batter into plastic squeeze bottle with narrow opening to use for making letters. Squeeze batter from spoon onto hot oiled griddle to form letters. Cook pancakes until edges are dry. Turn; cook other side until golden brown.

Recipe and picture from BettyCrocker.com

A Man's Best Friend

Friendly Dog Salad

4 lettuce leaves

4 canned pear halves

2 canned prunes or plums

2 maraschino cherries

4 raisins

8 canned mandarin orange segments

Place 1 lettuce leaf on each of the 4 salad plates. Place 1 pear half, cut side down, on each lettuce leaf. Cut prunes lengthwise in half with scissors and remove pits. Place 1 prune half on large end of each pear half for dog ear.

Cut cherries in half with scissors. Place 1 cherry half on narrow end of each pear half for dog nose. Scoop out tiny hole in each pear half for dog eye. Place raisin in each hold. Add 2 orange segments to each salad for a collar.

Recipe and picture from BettyCrocker.com

Create-a-Scene

Cookie Puzzle

1 roll (16.5 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookies

1/2 container (1 pound size) vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting

Desired gel icing color or liquid food color

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Cut cookie dough into 4 pieces. In pan, press dough evenly in bottom. Bake 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely in pan, about 20 minutes.

Using foil, lift cookie from pan; carefully remove foil. Place cooled cookie on large serving patter or foil-covered 14x10-inch sheet of cardboard. To create puzzle, use cookie cutters to cut a variety of shapes in baked cookie. Carefully remove shapes from background.

Divide frosting into several small microwavable bowls. Tint frosting as desired with food color. Microwave 1 bowl of frosting at a time for 10 seconds; stir until smooth.

Carefully frost and decorate cut shapes and background as desired. Let stand until set. Return shapes to puzzle.

Recipe and picture from Pillsbury.com

Food Face

So this post isn't exactly about making something out of food. Well, technically speaking it is but really this post is about playing with your food ... and not getting into trouble.

"Here’s a chance for junior to play with his food and exercise his creativity at the same time! So bring on the mashed-potatoes and peas...the possibilities are endless! Food Face is mid-size and crafted from hotel-quality, food-safe, high-fire ceramics. It’s individually gift boxed with lots of inspirational (not to mention wacky) food art. Wouldn’t YOU have loved this when you were a kid?"

Food Face can be found on Amazon.com for under $10.

National Children's Dental Health Month

Smiley Apples

1 red apple

8 teaspoons creamy peanut butter

16 miniature marshmallows

Cut apples into quarters; remove core. Cut each quarter into 4 slices. Spread 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter on one side of each slice.

With kitchen scissors, cut each marshmallow in half lengthwise. Place 4 marshmallow halves over peanut butter on 8 apple slices, extending slightly over peel of slice, for teeth.

Top each remaining apple slice, peanut butter side down, to make smiling mouth.

Recipe and picture from Pillsbury.com

I Choo-Choose You Cupcakes

Happy Valentine's Day!

The video is refusing to show up on the blog so instead I will simply set up a link for you to watch (it really is a totally cute Valentine's Day cupcake!).

Click Here

Love Bug Cupcakes

Love Bug Cupcakes

1/4 cup M&M’s
45 pieces chocolate malted milk balls, cut in half
1 box favorite cake mix
2/3 cup dark chocolate frosting
1 container vanilla frosting
Red food coloring
12 black licorice laces, cut into 48 pieces


Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the package.
Line the cupcake pans with the paper liners. Fill each cup with 2/3 cup of batter.
Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 minutes, according to the directions on the package. Remove from oven.
While waiting for the cupcakes to completely cool, tint the vanilla frosting with the red food coloring.
Once cooled, frost the tops of the cupcakes as follows: Spread the tops of the cupcakes with the red frosting. Spoon the dark chocolate frosting into a resealable bag. Snip a small corner from the bag. Pipe a line of dark chocolate frosting down the center of each cupcake. Pipe an oval of the dark chocolate frosting at one end of the line, and decorate with the red M&M’s for eyes and the licorice for antennae. Dot the red portion with chocolate malted milk balls for the Love Bugs’ spots.

Recipe and picture from BrightIdeas.com

Flower Pot Bouquet

Flower Pot Bouquet

Small flower pot
6" lengths of 12 gauge floral wire
Silk flower leaves
Green floral tape
Clear cellophane
1 yard of ribbon or pre-made bow
Jelly beans
Assortment of pastel foil wrapped candy such as Hershey's Kisses, Rolo caramels, Reese's peanut butter cup miniatures, and peppermint patties

Kisses chocolates roses
For each candy rose, spread glue on the bottom of one foil-wrapped chocolate. Firmly press the bottom of another chocolate to it. Insert florist wire into one pointed end of the double chocolates, twisting cellophane, continuing down the full length of wire with tape. Add 1 or 2 artificial leaves, if desired, securing leaves in place with florist tape.
Rolo caramel blue bells
Insert one length of floral wire through the center of 3-4 blue foil chocolate to form blossoms. Wrap remaining lengths of wire with green floral tape, inserting silk leaves at the base of the chocolate.
All other candy blossoms
Insert one length of floral wire partially through the center of a peppermint pattie or a Reese's peanut butter cup miniature. Wrap candy with a 4" square of clear cellophane, twisting the remainder of clear wrap around the top of the floral wire. Wrap wire beginning at the base of the candy, over the extra clear wrap, inserting silk leaves.


**Completed craft is for decorative purposes only. Candy used in craft should not be eaten.

Recipe and picture from Hershey's

Rose Cupcakes

Rose Cupcakes

12 mini cupcakes
White icing
6 rolls of Fruit by the Foot fruit leather in cherry or strawberry flavor
1 roll of Fruit by the Foot fruit leather in Color by the Foot flavor

Frost 12 mini cupcakes with white icing.
To make a rose, unroll a piece of the cherry or strawberry fruit leather and divide it in half along the wavy perforated middle line. Take one of the halves and roll up about 5 inches to form the flower's center. Set the rolled strip wavy side up in the middle of a cupcake, as shown, and continue to loosely wrap the remaining fruit leather around the center at a slight angle until the flower is completed.
Repeat this process for the remaining flowers. (You should be able to get 2 mini roses out of each roll of fruit leather.)
Cut leaf shapes from the wavy edge of the Color by the Foot strip as shown, then tuck the leaves under the roses.

Recipe and picture from Disney Family Fun (FamilyFun.go.com)

Healthy Hearts

Healthy Hearts

Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter on watermelon slices. Poke a bamboo kitchen skewer through each heart, then complete the arrow with an orange slice tip and tail.

Recipe and picture from Disney Family Fun (FamilyFun.go.com)

Marshmallow Cupid

Marshmallow Cupid

2 large marshmallows

1 tablespoon ready-to-spread white frosting

1 round cracker, halved

2 miniature marshmallows

1 piece red shoestring licorice (3 inch)

1 teaspoon red decorating gel

3 red mini chocolate coated candies

1 teaspoon large yellow sprinkles

Stack 2 large marshmallows for the "body;" secure with small amount of frosting. Use additional frosting to attach cracker halves to back of marshmallow stack for the "wings." Attach miniature marshmallows for the "arms" with additional frosting.

Cut licorice crosswise into 2 equal pieces. Use small scissors to "feather" end of 1 piece for feather end of "arrow." Attach small candy to other end for tip of arrow.
Use small scissors to carefully cut down center of remaining licorice piece to 1/4 inch of opposite end. Bend 1 side to form the "bow"; trim other side to fit. Dampen end slightly; press firmly into bended bow. Attach bow and arrow to cupid with remaining frosting. Decorate with icings, candies and sprinkles.

**Let stacked marshmallows dry before attaching wings.

**Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe and picture from Kraft Foods

Barbecue Chicken and Bacon Footballs

Barbecue Chicken and Bacon Footballs

3 cans Swanson chunk chicken
8 slices microwave ready bacon
1/2 cup shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese
3 cans refrigerated crescent rolls sheets
1/2 cup barbecue sauce


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare bacon and chop into small pieces.

Drain chicken. Combine chicken, bacon, cheese and barbecue sauce in medium bowl.

Spread crescent rolls sheets out on wax paper. Cut football shapes out of dough.

Place one tablespoon of the chicken mixture on half the football. Place the remaining footballs on top of the mixture and seal by pressing edges.

Use the remaining dough to create laces. Roll half inch pieces of dough and place one horizontal and three vertical on top of each football.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 12-16 footballs

Recipe and picture from Cookeatshare.com

Cheerleader Cupcakes

Cheerleader Cupcakes

Bake a batch of your favorite cupcakes and ice them with white frosting.

Tint a couple of batches of white fondant in your team's colors by kneading food coloring into the fondant until the color is even. Or purchased colored fondant if available in your desired colors.

Spray your work surface and rolling pin with a light coat if non-stick cooking spray. Roll out fondant and cut into thin (@ 1/4-inch) strips (Use a pizza cutter!). Then cut strips into 1 1/2-inch lengths.

Pile strips on top of cupcake to resemble a pom-pom.

Make a pattern for the cupcake wrap by wrapping white paper (or cardstock) around the cupcake and trimming it to fit.

Print a grass image from you computer and place the cupcake wrap pattern on the image; cut it out.

Wrap the cupcake in the grass wrap and tape the back to keep it closed.

Recipe and picture from celebrations.com

Chocolate Nutty Mini Footballs

Chocolate Nutty Mini Footballs

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows -OR- 4 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 cups cocoa rice krispies
Canned frosting or decorating gel

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until melted.

Add rice krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.

Cool slightly. Using buttered hands shape mixture into sixteen 3-inch footballs. Decorate with frosting. Best if served the same day.

Microwave Directions

In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add peanut butter, stirring until melted. Follow steps 2 and 3 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

**For best results, use fresh marshmallows.

**1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme can be substituted for marshmallows.

**Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container. To freeze, place in single layer on wax paper in airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe and picture from Rice Krispies

Crab Football Spread

Crab Football Spread

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) provolone cheese, shredded
1 cup crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
1 cup (8 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
Pretzel sticks
Assorted crackers and/or fresh vegetables


In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add cheddar cheese, provolone cheese, crab, cottage cheese, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Form mixture into a football shape. Arrange pretzel over top for laces. Serve with crackers and/or vegetables.
Yield: 1 cheese ball

Recipe and picture from Taste of Home