Pumpkin Sauce and Pork-chop Lion

Today's fun food was made to look like a lion.  It was also grain-free and dairy-free.

To make the lion's mane I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa veggie curls.  Follow the instructions on the back of the box precisely, I boiled mine for a couple minutes longer than suggested and they came out a little softer than I would have preferred.

The pumpkin sauce contained:

Pumpkin puree - 1 (15 oz.) can

Chicken stock - 2/3 c.

Coconut milk - 1/2 c.

White onion - 1/2 medium onion, chopped

Kale - hand full, finely chopped

Salt - 1 tsp.

Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Curry spice blend (cardamom, ground tumeric, ground cumin, coriander, chili powder) - 1 tbsp

Pumpkin spice blend (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, all spice) - 1 tsp.

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until it bubbles.  Be sure to stir often to avoid burning the bottom.

While I made the sauce I had these cooking.  Boneless pork-chops, seasoned and popped into the oven at 350 degrees F for about 30-45 minutes.

To make the lion, I put the pasta and sauce on the plate first and topped it with a pork chop face.  I also used two small pieces of pork chop for the ears.  The details on the face were made with green, yellow and red pepper (eyes, mouth and whiskers), an almond (nose), black beans (pupils), and a cauliflower (muzzle).

We ate our lions with a side of "Jungle Leaves" (aka. kale chips), recipe here.

The Grouchy Ladybug Snack

Today during circle time, we read one of the boys' favorite books, The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle.  

Shortly after reading the book, it was time for me to make morning snack for the kiddos and The Grouchy Ladybug was still on my mind.  Mostly because the boys kept repeating, "Hey you!  You wanna fight!?"  So, I used this page from the book as the inspiration for today's food art.

Here is MY version:

The sun is pineapple, the praying mantis is cucumber with tomato eyes, the ladybug is black beans and a cherry tomato and carrots for the ground.  I used a toothpick and some black food coloring to "paint" the dots on the wings and the pupils on the mantis eyes.  I realized later that I probably should have put the carrots at an angle to better imitate the brush strokes in the book and maybe added a few red and yellow  bell pepper strips.  Next time.

Making grain-free and dairy-free food art is a lot more complicated than when I could just cut a "sammy" and some cheese into a fun shape, but I think it turned out pretty good.  Most importantly the boys loved the theme and they devoured this healthy snack!  

Teddy Bear Picnic

Today's lunch theme was "Teddy Bear Picnic".

I started with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and used a simple circle cookie cutter to punch out a round.  I then used two different kinds of cheese (cheddar and provolone) to make triangle shaped rays.  He has a celery smile and fruit roll up (green apple) sunglasses.

Next I used a celery stalk and grapes (cut in half) to make a tree.  There is also "grass" (chopped lettuce and spinach) and 2 little bunnies (Annie's organic fruit snacks - strawberry).

For the picnic I used 2 Teddy Grahams and an apple slice cut into a square (with strips of it's skin) as the blanket.  There are also "ants" on the blanket (protein bar crumbs) because no picnic is complete without ants invading the area.

The boys also had homemade watermelon popsicles for "dessert".  We made them last night with our popsicle mold (found at Walmart for three dollars), Minute Maid watermelon juice, little chunks of watermelon and a splash of lemon juice.

They were very refreshing and according to my 4-year-old, "delicious".

Happy kids!

-J

Pancake Flower - Breakfast

Breakfast this morning was pancakes and fruit made into a flower shape.  

I started out making petal shaped pancakes (long ovals).  I used Krusteaz Wheat and Honey pancakes and instead of water, we used milk.

Then I chopped up the strawberries and bananas.

Added some vanilla yogurt to a small bowl, sprinkled it with some multicolored nonpareils and added some Yogurt O's (available at Fresh & Easy).

Then I arranged everything on the plate.  Fruit went on top of the pancakes and I drizzled them with honey.  Th yogurt bowl went into the center of the "petals".

Yum!

Fun Snack Tray

The boys were ready for snack so I decided to put together a fun snack tray.  Something like this would be great for those of you who have picky eaters that don't like their food to touch, it's still fun and different but each food stays with it's group.

I started out just gathering what I wanted to give the boys for snack.  We like to do finger foods for snacks so I decided on grapes, carrots, strawberries, apples, ham, waffle pretzels, cucumber and provolone cheese.

First I cut everything into flat disks and used my fondant cutters to punch out shapes from the food.  For those of you who don't know, fondant cutters are like mini cookie cutters, they also do make mini cookie cutters but they are harder to find.  I found both the fondant cutters I used, and these mini cookie cutters (Noah's Ark Set and Romantic Set) at Michael's.

After I punched everything out and arranged it on the tray, I drew on the provolone with Wilton FoodWriter Pens.  I kept it simple: I <3 U, Gabe, Rique and a bunch of smiley faces.  I've used the pens with great success on other foods, but apparently cheese is too soft because it was a lot harder to use them on the provolone.  I think next time I'll just use food coloring and a toothpick or thin paintbrush.

Here's the finished product:

My boys love fun food, even when it's just one of my simple creations.  My favorite part of snack was watching my boys being sweet with each other and sharing their food.

Happy Eating!

Spring Theme Breakfast

The last couple days have been gray, windy and rainy so I thought we needed a nice, colorful meal to remind us that it's spring time.  

The flowers are bell pepper with scrambled eggs poured in and a cheese (cheddar and provolone) center with  a spinach leaf and a chive as the stem.  I got the idea for these flowers from this picture.

There is also bacon "dirt" with a gummy worm and 2 strawberry ladybugs.  Butterfly toast with grape jelly, a banana body and antennae made of two slivers of beef jerky.

Yum!

Cars On A Beach Highway - Breakfast

Today's breakfast:

Ocean: Blended bananas and applesauce (plus 2 drops blue food coloring)

Beach: Kix Breakfast Cereal

Road: Peanut Butter (food colored black) and yellow decorator icing

Cars: Clif Builders Bar, Cheerios, red decorator icing

Grass: Eggs (1 drop green food coloring), spinach and scallions

Both of the boys loved it.  Here's my oldest, Gabriel, hamming it up!  Rique was still feeling too sick to want his photograph taken.

Goldfish - Dinner

Everyone is still feeling sick here so we're trying to keep things simple.  Here's tonight's dinner:

Creamy tomato soup sprinkled with pizza seasoned goldfish crackers, an open-face grilled cheese fish sammie (american cheese with provolone details) and a couple vanilla cupcake flavored goldfish.  Oh, and the fish's eye and mouth are made with black cupcake sprinkles (2 black bats broken in half, 1/2 for the eye and 1 1/2 for the mouth).  

If anyone wonders why I use so much provolone, it's because my Mom works at Leprino Foods  and gives me free cheese all the time.  I love free stuff!

Duck In Her Nest - Lunch

The boys requested "duck lunch" today, we're all sick but I came up with something quick and easy.

Ham and provolone duck sammie with mustard coloring and a half raisin eye.  Ramen noodle "nest", eggs (chicken, not duck!) and scallion "reeds".  They were happy with it and I'm glad these sicko kids are eating anything.

Puppy Theme Lunch

Today's lunch had a puppy theme. PB&J puppy sammie on a bed of spinach "grass", 2 ham and provolone cheese "squeaky balls", 3 graham cracker scooby snack bones, a carrot "dog house", tapioca pudding (dyed blue) " puppy water" and diced apple, mango and passion fruit "puppy chow".

Ocean Theme Dinner

Dinner I made for the boys tonight... hotdog octopuses, gold fish, mini blue shells (pasta) and purple "coral" (small salad macaroni) in butter sauce with scallion and spinach "seaweed" on a bed of parmesan "sand". Ocean water (blue powerade) to drink and shark fruit snacks for dessert.   They loved it!

Not A Creature Was Stirring... Not Even A Mouse...

Our Christmas Eve cookies (themed from Twas The Night Before Christmas book).  The kids love making these, they are easy and it's a "no bake" recipe.

Ingredients: Oreos (twisted apart and the side with icing used), decorative icing, maraschino cherries (with stem), Hershey's kisses, sliced almonds, red hot candies, mini candy "pearls", Baker's dipping chocolate (or any other dipping chocolate that hardens).

Holding (dry) cherry by stem, dip in melted chocolate, then press onto the bottom of a chocolate kiss.

Place cherry and kiss onto the cream filling of the cookie. Let stem extend over the edge.

Make ears for your mouse by placing sliced almonds between the cherry and the kiss (before the chocolate sets).

Place in refrigerator until chocolate sets.

With green decorative gel, pipe holly leaves on white cream of cookie by the mouse, use 3 red hot candies as the holly berries.

Pipe eyes on each chocolate kiss (I also used the candy pearls in the eyes too, but this can be skipped if you don't have them).

Store in airtight container at room temperature.

These are always a big hit at holiday parties so make sure to make extra!

Merry Christmas!!