Hawaiian Haystacks

*I didn't have chow mein noodles or celery...was still great.

Hawaiian Haystacks
Recipe from Recipezaar.com

1/4 lb butter (optional or use less if you want)
3/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cooked chicken breasts (or canned)
1/2 can sliced mushrooms
Pineapple tidbits
Chopped green onion
Grated cheddar cheese
Coconut
Slivered almonds
Chow Mein noodles
Cooked rice
Celery

Cook chicken and cut into bite sized pieces or shred. Melt butter in a large pan. Add flour, salt, and milk. Stir well. Add cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, and chicken. Simmer. Cook rice (however much is needed for number of people serving). Layer on plate rice, chow mein noodles, cheese, soup mixture, and other toppings desired. Can also add soy sauce if desired.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers
Recipe from Our Best Bites blog

12 chicken tenders (more or less) (I cut up 4 chicken breasts)
1-2 eggs (start with 1 and crack another if you run out)
1/2 c. flour
1 c. sweetened coconut flakes
1 c. panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or can leave out for non-spicy eaters)

Preheat oven to 450. Give coconut a rough chop so its about the same size as the Panko breadcrumbs. Combine coconut, panko, and spices to a bowl and mix well. Place the flour in another shallow bowl and the egg, beaten, in another bowl. Dip chicken in flour, then egg, then panko mix. Place chicken pieces on a foil lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. (Optional: you can drizzle with olive oil on top to help crisp nicely).

Bake for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. If they are smaller chicken tenders, try 15 minutes...if larger try 25 minutes. Watch closely so they don't overcook. The coconut will be nice and golden but will still be light in color. Dip in sweet 'n sour sauce (a recipe I used below).

Sweet 'n Sour Sauce
Recipe found online somewhere

*Alright, I'm putting on two recipes for this because there was a basic one I found but I decided to use a slightly different version. It was really good with the chicken but it may be too potent to use with other things in my opinion.

1st Recipe (the basic one...I didn't use)

3/4 c. white sugar
1/3 c. white vinegar
2/3 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. ketchup
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Place sugar, vinegar, water soy sauce, ketchup and cornstarch in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir continuously until the mixture has thickened.

2nd Recipe (one I used)

1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 . white sugar
1/4. c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Dissolve cornstarch and pineapple juice until dissolved. Add in all ingredients to saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir continuously until mixture has thickened.

Kid's Halloween Treats

*The pictures from Picky Palate are better than mine. I just made this super quick. You can spend a bit more time to make these look better. Eden was a little skeptical about eating this though. It was funny. Once she realized that its eatable, she took it all apart before eating...I think it freaked her out a little less.

Bug-a-Pillar Banana Dude
Recipe from picky-palate.com

1 ripe banana
Creamy Peanut Butter
Pretzel Sticks
Raisins
Red Fruit Snacks (optional)

Cut banana into 1 inch slices. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on each slice (minus the last piece) then press gently back together, curving slightly if desired. Break pretzel sticks in half, then press into sides of banana for legs. Dip 2 raisins in peanut butter and stick on front banana slice for eyes, then dip red fruit snack in peanut butter and stick on bottom of banana slice for the tongue.

*Umm...these were really really good to eat. And play with...

Oozing Monster Apple Mouths

1 large Apple of choice
Peanut Butter
Mini Marshmallows

Core then cut the apple into fourths. Cut out a small wedge on the skin side of the apple. Blot inside with a paper towel then spread lightly with creamy peanut butter. Cut mini marshmallows in half and place over peanut butter to make the teeth.

Banana Boats

Banana Boats
Recipe from somewhere online I can't remember

Bananas
Chocolate chips
Marshmallows
Other toppings of choice (peanut butter, coconut, candy bars, caramel, anything)
Ice cream (optional)

Cut banana open being careful to not slice all the way through the other side. Push together ends so the banana opens up (like a boat). Fill with desired toppings (technically you don't even need to use chocolate chips and marshmallows...just whatever you want inside). Cover with tin foil and put on a cookie sheet. Bake at 300 for 5-10 minutes or until toppings are melted or warm (ours took longer than that and didn't quite melt all the way but was still good). Serve with ice cream.

April Fools' Day Breakfast Trick

April Fools' Day Breakfast Trick

Cold cereal
Milk
Food coloring

Place in cereal bowl a few drops of food coloring and cover with cereal. When the person puts the milk inside of the bowl, "AH!" the milk turns a different color!

April Fools' Day Lunch Tricks

April Fools' Day Lunch Tricks

Sandwich
Bag of Chips (and something else to fill it with)
Apple (and gummy worm)
Cupcake (frosting and candies that go on top)

Stick sandwich in a Ziplock bag that is stuck together on the inside with double sided tape, making the bag hard to open. Open the bag of chips, empty the chips, and put something in its place such as carrots or treats. Put the bag back together using double sided tape. Cut a little hole in the apple and stick a gummie worm inside. Make cupcakes that are decorated like other food such as spaghetti, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots (recipe here).

April Fools Cupcakes

April Fools' Cupcakes
Recipe from recipe book Hello, Cupcake!

• Regular cupcakes in a box (and ingredients to make) or
• Perfect Cake-Mix Cupcakes (recipe here) (we used these and they ended up really light and fluffy, but they create a really nice top that is easier to frost)
  

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Cupcakes
1 can vanilla frosting with a teaspoon cocoa powder and 3 drop yellow food coloring
Ferrero Rochers (1 for each cupcake)
Strawberry preserves (low sugar has the best color)
White chocolate, grated

1. Frost cupcake regularly.
2. Put frosting into a ziplock bag, cut about 1/8 inch hold in one corner. Squeeze onto cupcakes making look like spaghetti covering completely and spilling over on the sides.
3. In a bowl, mix Ferrero Rochers and 1/2 cup jam until they are completely covered.
4. Using mixed jam (a little softened), put a dab on each cupcake, followed by "meatball".
5. Sprinkle with white chocolate shavings, "Parmesan".

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Cupcakes
Same frosting as with spaghetti
Yellow Starbursts (1 for each cupcake)
Caramel Syrup (*I used syrup from a squeeze bottle and it was a little thin, so I had to add it right before serving or else it ran off and looked too thin.)

1. Frost cupcake with plenty of frosting and then making a divot with a spoon on top.
2. Place Starburst on to look like butter.
3. Pour caramel in the divot (melt first if thick), getting a little outside spilling over.

Peas and Carrots

Cupcakes
Green frosting (add a few drops of green food coloring to above frosting)
Orange Starbursts, cut into fourths
Green Runts or Skittles

1. Frost cupcake.
2. Add an arrangement of peas and carrots on top of cupcakes. (*I ran a little low on toppings)

Muddy Buddies

Muddy Buddies

9 Cups Chex cereal
1 Cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 Cup peanut butter
1/4 Cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar

Measure cereal into a large bowl. Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a bowl for 1 minute. Stir and microwave 30 seconds longer. Stire until smooth. Stire in vanilla. Pour chocolate over cereal, stir until coated. Place powdered sugar into a 2 gallon plastic bag. Put cereal mix in and shake until well coated. Spread out on wax paper or pan to cool.