Fun for the Kids

I decided to add a new catagory to the recipes..."fun for the kids!" When I come across a fun and kid-friendly snack/treat, I'll post it on here with that label! ... And, here are a few that have recently been devourerd at our house!!!...

The first is pretty self-expainitory! When we were having hot dogs the other night, Q wasn't feelin' it. So I made him his own form of hot dog...why not? ... PB & Banana Hot Dog

1 hot dog bun
1 banana
Peanut Butter
Sprinkles (optional but OH SO FUN!)

Assemble and EAT!

Then, after a week down of Potty Training, it was time for a special treat! And, on the back of the cupckae box, I had seen the recipe for these...So easy! So cute! And SO much easier to eat than a normal cupcake!

Cupcake in a Cone

1 box of cupckae mix (and ingredients needed to make)
Ice Cream Cones
Icing
Sprinkles
Cupcake liners

Prepare cupcakes as directed on package. Place cupcake liners in tin. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Place cone in batter (bottom side/point side up, obviously). Bake acording to package directions. Let cool. Take out of pan and remove paper liner. Cover with icing and sprinkles!

Don't knock it...

...til you've tried it! Seriously, I love the bowls from KFC! You know, the weird ones where they pile up the potatoes, corn, chicken and cheese! It's YUM to me! And, when we made them ourselves, my littlest critic loved it as well! I'm not guaranteeing gourmet, but it's quick and good!!!...

KFC Bowl (PoeFam Style)

1 pkg. of instant mashed potatoes

1 can of corn

Popcorn chicken (6-9 pieces per bowl)

Cheddar cheese

Salt & Pepper

Cook chicken. Prepare potatoes. Heat corn. Then, when all is done, layer in bowl...potatoes, corn, salt, pepper, chicken (cut in half), cheese! (And, it's even more fun if you cut the cheese into a fun shape!) Enjoy!

And, what if we add some chocolate chips?

What do you do when you have bananas that are going to go bad?

Make banana bread!

And, what do you do when you just feel the need to indulge?

Chocolate chips!!!

This was GOOD...very rich, but GOOD! You should try it! ...

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1 cup butter, softened
4 T cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups flour
1 T vanilla
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
3 medium bananas, mashed
3/4 c. chopped nuts, optional
1 cup (or more) chocolate chips

Grease 9x5 loaf pan. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add cream cheese, flour, soda, vanilla bananas, nutmeg, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Hot? Cold? You choose!

This recipe called for chicken, but when my chicken went past its due date, I opted to make it without. And, it was such a good accident! I LOVED this the day of and ate it cold for the next few days! Honestly, I think I liked it better cold...especially when I chopped up grapes and put them inside! It tasted like that yummy salad from Cafe Max! :) Enjoy! Creamy Pasta Primavera
3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
2 Tbsp. Zesty Italian Dressing
2 zucchini, cut into chunks
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and vegetables; cook 10 to 12 min. or until chicken is cooked through, stirring frequently. Add broth and cream cheese; cook 1 min. or until cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Add Parmesan cheese; mix well.
Drain pasta; return to pot. Add chicken and vegetable mixture; toss lightly. Cook 1 min. or until heated through. (Sauce will thicken upon standing.)

A Jan-Kay Flash Back

Every summer my church went to Jan-Kay Ranch for church camp. It brings back such great memories. And, every year, they would serve Monkey Bread! We would all get so excited when we'd see the coffee cans full of this yummy goodness on the tables!!! The one I made seemed a little different, but I think the second recipe is the actual one we ate! :) I'll have to try it next time! All I know is that they're both YUM!!!...

Monkey Bread (or Breakfast Pull Apart Cake)
2 cans buttermilk biscuits
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 T cinnamon
1 stick butter
1 c. pecans, chopped (optional)

Put sugar and cinnamon in baggie and shake. Cut biscuits into fourths. Dip biscuit pieces into melted butter. Drop in baggie with sugar and cinnamon mix. Shake until coated. Roll in pecans, Place around bottom of Bundt pan, stacking and layering to the top. Bake at 325 for 30 to 40 minutes.
Monkey Bread
1/2 c. margarine
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. chopped nuts
1 T Cinnamon
3 cans biscuits

Spray bundt pan. Melt margarine in bowl. Mix sugars, nuts and cinnamon in another bowl. Cut each biscuit into fourths. Roll each in sugar. Place balls in pan and drizzle with butter over 1st layer. (1 can) Repeat with other two cans. Sprinkle remaining sugar over the top. Bake 30-35. Cool 1-2 minutes. Take out and serve!!!

Chocolate+Peanut Butter =GOOD!

Here's another good one from Kraft. Their picture is SO much prettier than mine...but, it was SUPER yummy, none the less! And, layered things always remind me of that Friends episode with Joey eating Rachel's layered dessert. Remember it? "Custard...good...jam...good...meat...GOOD!!!"

Enjoy!!!...

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Eclair Dessert

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1-3/4 cups cold milk
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed
24 Graham Crackers
6 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate
3 Tbsp. butter

Beat pudding mix and milk in large with whisk 2 min. Add peanut butter; mix well. Stir in Cool Whip. Layer 1/3 of the grahams and half the pudding mixture in 13x9-inch dish, breaking grahams as necessary to fit. Repeat layers. Top with remaining grahams. Microwave chocolate and butter in microwaveable bowl on high for 2 min., stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Spread over grahams.
Refrigerate 8 hours. (Or freeze for about 1 hour)