Frozen Banana Rolls
1 tortilla (I use La Tortilla wholegrain low-carb, so flexible!)
1 banana (I’ve found the ones slightly past their prime are best)
your favorite brand of peanut butter
a dinner plate covered in plastic wrap
a good, sharp chef’s knife.
Lay the tortilla on the wrap-covered plate. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter evenly over the entire top surface, right to the edges. A couple of inches away from the edge lay the peeled banana directly onto the peanut butter. Bring the smaller edge of the tortilla up over the banana and roll it VERY TIGHTLY into a tube. If you don’t roll it tight, it’ll fall apart when you cut it. Release the plastic wrap from around the plate and roll it up around the tortilla-tube to keep everything in place. Pop in the freezer for a couple of hours. You don’t want it frozen solid, but firm enough so that it slices well. When the tube is frozen, bring it back out onto the plate, cut the ends off with the chef’s knife- you might have to use a slight sawing motion. If the tube feels squishy, put it back in the freezer. Cut the tube into 1″ slices and serve.
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Critter Crunch
1 C. animal crackers
1 C. teddy bear-shaped chocolate or honey-flavored graham cracker
1 C. small pretzel twists
1 C. yogurt-covered raisins
1 C. candy-coated chocolate candies
10 colorful ice-cream cones , if desired
Mix all ingredients except ice-cream cones. Serve snack in cones.   Store in covered container.
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Italian Pancake Dunkers
Pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce
2 C. Original Bisquick® mix
1 C. milk
2 eggs
1/2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese (2 oz.)
1/2 C. finely chopped pepperoni
1/4 C. finely chopped green bell pepper
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 small tomato, finely chopped (1/2 C.)
Heat pizza sauce until warm; keep warm. Stir Bisquick, milk and eggs until blended. Stir in remaining ingredients.  Spoon batter by T. onto hot griddle; spread slightly.  Cook until edges are dry. Turn; cook until golden. To serve, dunk pancakes into sauce.
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Campfire Cocoa Mix
1 9.6oz. pkg. powdered Dry Milk
1 1/4 C. Chocolate Quick
3/4 C. Non-Dairy Creamer
1/3 C. Powdered Sugar
Dash Salt
Mix all ingredients in re-sealable container or bag. For each serving mix 3-4 tablespoons dry mix in a mug. Fill with one cup boiling water.
Jello Aquarium
1 3 oz. package Berry Blue jello
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
4 Gummy fish or other gelatinized aquatic life
Blue m&ms
Dissolve gelatin completely in boiling water. Combine cold water and ice cubes to make 1 1/4 cups ice and water. Add to gelatin, stirring until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. (If mixture is still thin, refrigerate until slightly thickened.) Pour gelatin into dessert glasses. Place gummy fish in gelatin. Push in candies to make “bubbles†Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
Easy Peasy Cupcakes
2 large eggs, cracked open
1 tsp. vanilla essence
4oz caster sugar
4oz soft margarine
4oz self-rising flour
To decorate (optional)
tubes of writing icing
marshmallows, white and colored
food coloring, for icing
colored sweets
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat them together until the mixture is smooth and slightly lighter in color. Line a bun tin or cupcake tin with paper cake cases and half-fill each case with the cake mixture. Cook the cakes for 18-20 minutes. You can tell they are done when they have risen up, are golden in color, and spring back into shape when lightly pressed. The cupcakes can be decorated using a basic icing, plus marshmallows, writing icing, food coloring and colored sweets. You can even make a cupcake farm with animals such as sheep, piglets and dogs.
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Chocolate Peanut Grahams
4 cinnamon graham crackers, broken into quarters
1/4 C. creamy peanut butter
1 C. semisweet chocolate chips
3 tsp. shortening
Spread half of the graham cracker quarters with peanut butter; top with remaining crackers. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip the crackers into chocolate; place on a waxed paper-lined pan. Refrigerate until set.
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Honey Nut Chicken Sticks
2 lb. chicken tenders
Salt and pepper
1 C. All-purpose flour
3 eggs
A splash milk
2 C. honey nut flavored cereal (recommended: Honey Nut Corn Flakes)
1 C. Bread crumbs
1 T. sweet paprika
1 T. poultry seasoning
2 T. grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Seasoning)
1/4 C. Vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Place flour in a large shallow dish. Coat chicken in flour. Beat eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Combine cereal, bread crumbs, paprika, poultry seasoning, grill seasoning and vegetable oil in food processor. Transfer breading to a shallow dish. Place a nonstick baking sheet near chicken breading station. In batches, take flour coated chicken and coat in eggs then in breading and place on nonstick cookie sheet. When all the chicken has been coated, transfer to oven and bake 15 minutes, until evenly brown and cooked through. Cool and serve, or pack up for a picnic! This chicken may be served hot or cold.
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Corn Dog Mini Muffins
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Hot dogs
Mix together dry ingredients. Then add the liquid ingredients. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Scoop into a greased mini muffin pan, filling the cups about 2/3’s of the way full. Take hotdogs and cut into 1 inch pieces. Stick into the muffin mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the cornbread is a nice golden color. They make the perfect dipping size for kids as well as a great appetizer.
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Turkey Sandwich
Under the Bigtop Bento
Cheese Tortilla Spiral Bento
Striped Sandwich Bento
Cow Bento
Vegetable Monster Flowers
Orange Fish Snacks
Fairy Sandwich Bento
Cottage Cheese, Toast
Banana Snake Bento
Octosandwich!
Rocket Bento
Oscar Oyster
Frog in a Bog Muffins
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 cup frozen corn, thawed (or fresh blanched corn)
12 oz. turkey sausage, cut into 12 equal pieces
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease (or line with paper cups) a 12-cup muffin tin. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and light brown sugar and mix 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Add the milk, eggs, and corn, and mix on low speed until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tin and press a piece of sausage into the center of each muffin. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden-brown and a toothpick inserted into their centers comes out clean. Let cool slightly before serving.
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Fairy Bread
Bread slices (white bread is best)
Sprinkles (also known as 100s and 1000s)
Butter or margarine
Take out white bread, cut off the crusts. Or, leave them on. The fairy bread looks and tastes better when you use white bread, but any kind is okay. Spread some butter. Margarine can be used as a substitute but butter tastes better to many people. Put sprinkles on top. Cut the bread into different shapes. Triangles are traditional for fairy bread shapes. Serve on a pretty plate. You can also substitute the butter for nutella. It gives it a lovely chocolate taste.
Arctic Oranges
4 oranges
4 cups orange juice
4 cherries
Cut the tops off the oranges in a zigzag pattern. Hollow out the insides, remove the seeds and combine in a blender with the juice. Set the rinds in a muffin tin and fill with the mixture. Drop a cherry inside each orange. Freeze for 2 to 3 hours. Soften the treats for 5 minutes, then serve.
Zucchini Boats
4 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise and seeds removed
1/2 lb. lean Italian sausage
4 oz. light cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 C. shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1/2 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 T. fresh or 1 tsp. dried chives
Using a spoon, scoop seeds and part of the pulp from center of zucchini slices, leaving ¼ to ½-inch wall. Combine cooked and drained sausage, cream cheese, Jack cheese, Parmesan cheese and chives in a bowl and mix well. With a spoon, stuff zucchini boats with cheese mixture. Place boats on a lightly greased baking dish and bake until heated thru and cheese is melted, about 8 minutes.
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Marble Potatoes
1 can whole potatoes, well drained
1 tsp. Olive oil
1 tsp. Butter
1 Garlic clove, chopped finely
Kosher salt
Black pepper, freshly cracked
Parsley, chopped finely
Using a melon baller, make rounded balls from the potatoes. They can be made the day before, covered and refrigerated. When ready to cook the potato balls, heat skillet on medium heat, add an equal amount of olive oil and butter. Sauté the potato balls in a large frying pan until done, shaking the pan periodically (this takes about 5 to 10 minutes). Add chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste. DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC. Remove from heat, plate up on each individual plate, add parsley leaves and serve.
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Appley-Yogurt Dip
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup Natural applesauce
Mix yogurt and applesauce and dip in your favorite fruits – some Toddlers even love this for dipping veggies!
Applesauce Pancakes
2 C. dry pancake Mix
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 C. applesauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 C. milk
In a large bowl, stir together pancake Mix and cinnamon. Make a well in the center of the pancake Mix. Add the eggs, applesauce, lemon juice and milk; stir until smooth. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 C. for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
Applesauce Gel Squares
1/8 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1 C. unsweetened applesauce
2 C. apple juice
3 small packages unflavored gelatin*
In a small bowl, mix cinnamon into applesauce and set aside. Pour 1 C. cold apple juice in 8×8 pan and sprinkle gelatin on top. Heat remaining 1 C. of apple juice in the microwave for 3 minutes or until boiling. Stir boiling juice into the gelatin and cold apple juice. Stir in applesauce. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour and then stir to keep applesauce evenly distributed. If you omit this step the applesauce settles to the bottom, but it still tastes great! Refrigerate for an additional 2 1/2 hours or until firm. Â Cut into squares with a knife, or use cookie cutters to cut into shapes, and serve. * Unflavored gelatin can be found near the jello at a grocery store. It is great to have on hand for making finger jello from juice. One envelope (7 grams) gels one C. of liquid.
Andrea’s Alphabet Soup
2 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 C. carrots, diced
2 14-oz. cans tomatoes, peeled with liquid
1 pint tomato juice
kosher salt and pepper
3 oz. alphabet pasta
10 oz. box frozen petit peas, or 1 C. frozen edamame (out of the pod)
Chop onion, garlic and celery. Heat oil in a large saucepan and cook onion, garlic and celery over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft and transparent but not browned. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Chop carrots and add them, tomato juice and seasoning. Bring to boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. In a hand blender or food processor, blend a third of soup until smooth, then return it to pan. Heat to boiling, then add pasta and cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes, until pasta is cooked. During last three minutes of cooking, add frozen peas or edamame.
Alton Brown’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta to al dente. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it’s free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf. Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Melt the butter in a sauté© pan and toss the breadcrumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving. Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.
Alton Brown’s Next Day Mac and Cheese “Toast”
Leftover baked macaroni and cheese, refrigerated for at least overnight
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 egg beaten with 2 ounces water
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Oil for deep frying, preheated to 375 degrees
Cut refrigerated macaroni and cheese into slices or bite size pieces. Season the flour with salt, pepper and cayenne. Dredge each piece through the flour and gently tap off excess. Dip in the egg wash and then coat with the bread crumbs. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes so the crust can set. Very carefully drop into the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove to a baking sheet fitted with a rack and rest for 2 minutes before serving.
A Square Breakfast
8 slices bread, crusts removed
4 slices Ham
4 slices Cheddar Cheese
1 small Anaheim pepper, cut into thin strips
Butter
2 C. whole milk or 1/2 & 1/2
1 large egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter bread on both sides. Arrange four slices in a lightly buttered 8×8-in baking dish. Place ham and cheese on each bread slice in dish, sprinkle pepper on top of cheese and top each with second slice of buttered bread. Combine milk and egg in a bowl and whisk to blend. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste. Â Pour milk mixture over sandwiches and allow to soak up to 1 hour. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 45 minutes. To serve, cut into 4 pieces with a spatula or knife and lift each sandwich onto a plate. Serve with Tabasco and orange wedges or chunky salsa.
A Collection of Tea Sandwiches
Curried chicken salad
2 C. diced chicken
3/4 C. Mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. Curry powder
1/2 tsp. Lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Chutney
Mix ingredients together and spread over bread. Use cookie cutters to trim into fun shapes. Decorate with edible flowers, berries, or springs of herbs.
Chili Pepper-Cilantro Butter:
1 stick salted butter, softened
1 red chili pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp. cilantro
1 1/2 tsp. lime juice
Mash butter and mix in remaining ingredients. Spread over bread. Use cookie cutters to trim into fun shapes. Decorate with edible flowers, berries, or springs of herbs.
Rosemary-Garlic Butter
1 stick salted butter, softened
1 T. fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
Mash butter and mix in remaining ingredients. Spread over bread. Use cookie cutters to trim into fun shapes. Decorate with edible flowers, berries, or springs of herbs.
Scallion-Ginger Butter
1 stick salted butter, softened
1 T. minced scallions
1 1/2 tsp. grated gingerroot
1 tsp. rice-wine vinegar
Mash butter and mix in remaining ingredients. Spread over bread. Use cookie cutters to trim into fun shapes. Decorate with edible flowers, berries, or springs of herbs.
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20 Uses for Kool-Aid
1. Make Easy Flavored Kool-Aid Frosting
Stir a package of Kool-Aid into a can of vanilla frosting.
2. Frosting for a Jello Cake
Fold in a pack of Kool-Aid into a container of thawed whipped topping. If the frosting tastes a little too sour, add in a little sweetener to taste.
3. Make Kool-Aid Lip Gloss
To make a fruity lip gloss put a small amount of petroleum jelly into a microwave-safe bowl. Stir some Kool-Aid in, enough to make it the color you desire. Add a little sugar, then, place the bowl in a microwave oven for about five or six seconds, just enough to soften it.
4. Make Sand Art With Kool-Aid
Draw pictures on paper, spread a thin layer of Elmer’s glue over one part of the picture. It’s better to start at the top of the picture and work down. Sprinkle Kool-Aid over the glue and press it down gently. Shake off the excess powder off, and go on to the next color.
5. Temporarily Dye Your Hair With Kool-Aid
In a glass bowl mix a packet of Kool-Aid with a teaspoon of corn starch and just enough water to make a paste. Apply the paste to clean, dry hair and let set for five minutes, rinse the paste out.
6. Make Spooky Party Decorations
Just place some dry ice- don’t touch it with your hands!- into a glass, and pour a packet of any flavor Kool-Aid into it. Kids will watch with fascination as the dry ice and Kool-Aid bubbles and mists.
7. Make Kool-Aid Clay for the Kids
Mix together 1 cup of flour, a 1/4 cup of salt, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar and a pack of Kool-Aid in a pan. Stir in 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat stirring until the mixture thickens, remove from heat and let it cool. Knead the Kool-Aid clay until smooth. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator until use.
8. Remove Chlorine From Your Hair
Use Lemonade flavored Kool-Aid. Pour a little Kool-Aid in your hand, then add shampoo and lather up. Let the Kool-Aid/shampoo set on your hair for fifteen minutes before you rinse it and then shampoo out well. (and we drink this??)
9. Kool-Aid Water Colors
Pour Kool-Aid into ice cube tray, one compartment per color. Stir 1 tablespoon of water into each compartment; stir until the powders are completely dissolved.
10. Tie Dye with Kool-Aid
You can dye any cotton item such as tee shirts, socks, bed sheets, towels, as long as it is cotton. The article you want to tie dye must be clean and dry. Pour each color package of Kool-Aid into an individual glass bowl. Stir an ¼ cup of white vinegar into each bowl; make sure the powders dissolve completely. Gather the fabric up in several places and secure with several rubber bands. Dip each bunch into a bowl of Kool-Aid. Leave the rubber bands in place and set aside to dry. Once dry, remove the rubber bands and spread it out so it can completely dry. Put it in the clothes dryer by itself and dry on high for 15 minutes to set the colors in.
11. Use Kool-Aid to Check for Toilet Tank Leaks (this is funny to me)
Lift the lid off the toilet tank and pour Kool-Aid into the tank. The darker colors work the best. Don’t flush the toilet! Just watch the toilet bowl, if you see the Kool-Aid float through from the tank, then you have a leak. The test can take fro 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the leak.
12. Removing Rust Stains
Remove rust stains on your driveway by mixing unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid with just a little water and scrub. (see #8)
13. Cleaning the Inside of your Dishwasher
Dump a packet of unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid into the soap dispenser, run the wash cycle. Removes stains and hard water deposits.
14. Dyes for Easter Eggs
Mix a packet of Kool-Aid in a cup with 2 tablespoons of vinegar and ½ cup of water
15. Kool-Aid Stands
Send the kids out to sell and play–they can sugar up other people’s kids.:)
16. Decorating Cookies
Use in place of colored sugars, just sprinkle a little across the top
17. Science Project with Plants
Place a stalk of celery in water with Kool-Aid in it to demonstrate how the Kool-Aid is drawn up into the stalk with the water.
18. Coloring Flowers
Place carnations, daisies or any white flower in water with Kool-Aid in it and watch the flowers turn colors.
19. Demonstrate a Non-Newtonian Substance
Mix equal parts cornstarch and water that has been colored with a pack of Kool-aid. Mix with fingers and observe that this substance fluctuates between solid and liquid.
20. Shower Prank (look out, Gourmet Dad!)
This is a simple prank. All you have to do remove the shower head from your shower and pour in the kool-aid packet into the shower head. NOTE: Make sure you are not the next one to take a shower.:)
As a side note:
A dab of toothpaste on a damp paper towel cleans up stubborn Kool-Aid stains off both skin and countertops.
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Touchdown Taco Pockets
Â
4 cans refrigerator biscuits (any kind)
1 lb. ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
Water
Shredded cheese
Optional garnishes: lettuce, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese
Â
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef in a medium skillet. Add taco seasoning and water as directed on package. Cook as directed. Remove from heat. On a cutting board, place 2 biscuits together and roll out into an oval with a rolling pin. Repeat with another 2 biscuits. Place a spoonful of taco meat and a spoonful of shredded cheese on one of the rolled out biscuits and place the other oval on top. Using a fork, press around edges to seal. Take a sharp knife and cut out a football shape. Make “laces” on top of the football with the scraps (see video tutorial). Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 8-12 minutes until done. Serve up with your favorite taco fixins’.
Carrot and Cheese Muffins
¾ C. Self-Rising Flour
¼ tsp. Baking Soda
Pinch Salt
Pinch Paprika
1/3 C. grated Cheddar
1/3 C. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
2 T. Milk
2 T. Canola Oil
¼ C. plain Yogurt
1 T. Maple Syrup
1 Egg
1 Medium Carrot, finely grated
1 tsp. snipped Chives (optional)
Preheat oven to 350. Line mini muffin pan with 18 paper cups or standard muffin pan with 6 cups. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, paprika and cheeses together in a bowl. Beat milk, oil, yogurt, maple syrup and egg together in another bowl. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture, just enough to combine, then stir in carrot and chives. Fill muffin cups almost to the top. Sprinkle on a little extra parmesan cheese. Bake mini muffins 14-16 minutes or regular muffins 25-30 minutes. Muffins should rise and turn golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
From Top 100 Finger Foods
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Puff Pastry Pizza Roll
1 sheet of Puff Pastry (thawed)
Pizza Sauce
Pepperoni
Mozzarella Provolone Cheese
1 egg (lightly beaten)
Dried basil
Heat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Top your puff pastry sheet with pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Fold over one edge and carefully roll the puff pastry and toppings into a log. Brush a little egg over the top and sprinkle on some dried basil. Using a very sharp knife cut the pizza roll into slices that are about 3/4 inch thick.  Lay the slices on one side on the parchment paper and bake for about 15 minutes.



















