Cooking and Craft Recipes for Kids
 

Flour Tortilla Snowflakes - Here's a really fun recipe that takes very little preparation.  This recipe is found on her web site. Jane is an author, speaker, and food stylist.  She has written many books that combine fun and imaginative recipes and teaching children important life lessons. Check out her books and the recipe for these snowflakes under the "Quick Fix" button on her site.

In addition to using the cinnamon and sugar mixture, I tried using powder sugar which worked very well.  I just put the powdered sugar in a sifter and sifted it over the snowflakes after spraying them with the butter (the kind in the can). The flour tortilla snowflakes were delicious.  I also bought small round won ton wraps that worked very well and were also very good.

Veggie Tale Cookies - Make Veggie Tale Cookies from any Marzipan cookie recipe.

Laura the Carrot - Use orange dough for her body and yellow for her hair.  Shape the orange dough into a carrot shape. Make two small orange balls for her eyes and flatten them out.  Make a small orange ball for her nose.  Make 8 small yellow balls of dough, four different sizes, for her hair.  Make two each of each size.  Starting at the top of her head attach the largest balls, then the next size smaller at each side and keeping adding smaller balls on each side until you don't have any left. Use dark icing to make the mouth and irises.

Junior Asparagus - Use green dough to shape the long narrow body. Make a bunch of other little green balls. Flatten two balls to from the eyes.  Use one for his nose.  Use the rest of the balls to form his hair. Use dark icing to make the mouth and irises.

Bob the Tomato - (not pictured) Use red dough to make a large red ball (about one inch wide) for his body. Make a 3 small red balls and flatten two of them for his eyes. Use the other small ball for his nose. Roll out a small amount or green dough and cut out some leaves to put at the top of his head. Use dark icing to make the mouth and irises.

Elmo  Biscuits - Have a monster morning with these easy to make biscuits! This recipe can also be used to make cookies. Just use your favorite sugar  cookie recipe or rolled cookie recipe.  Use food color to dye most to the dough red for the face and nose. Leave some without dye for the eyes. ©2004, Digital by Design, Inc

What you will need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoon chilled solid vegetable shortening
1 cup buttermilk

To Make:

Preheat oven to 425°. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Cut the shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or 2 knives until coarse crumbs form.

Add the buttermilk, tossing with a  fork until a dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gather into a disk. Knead lightly a few times just until smooth.

Roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Using a round biscuit cutter, cut out the dough. Fold the circles in half and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased  baking sheet. Gather the left over dough trimmings and form into small balls to form eyes and a nose. Using your finger put an indents into each biscuit where the eyes and  nose will be. Dip the balls into an egg white that has been slightly beaten and place in the indents. Use toothpicks to secure the eyes to the head.

Bake the biscuits until golden 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the toothpicks carefully. Serve hot with butter.

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Buggy Salad - ©2004, Digital by Design, Inc

Lady Bugs

What you need: Cherry tomatoes for wings, Raisins for feet and spots, Dates for head and body, Carrot slices for antennas

To Make:

1. Wash cherry tomatoes and carrots.
2. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Use one half of the  tomato for the wings. Slice the half tomato almost in half again lengthwise,  but leave it connected at the top. Clean out the seeds with a  spoon.
3. Stuff one date inside the tomato wings. Spread the wings a  little so the date shows through.
4. Place 6 raisins under the body to form the feet.
5. Cut one raisin in half and place half a raisin on top of each wing to form spots.
6. Cut off the end of a date to form the head of the bug and place on the body.
7. Cut very thin slivers of carrot for the antennas. Poke two holes in the date head where the antennas should be and shove a carrot sliver into the holes.
8. Place head on the body.

Bumble Bee

What you will need:

Cheddar Cheese for body and wings, Dates for head and body, Carrot for antennas

To make:

1. Cut two 3/4" circles and one slightly smaller circle from a slice of cheddar cheese.
2. Slice a date into 4 pieces (crosswise). The slice for the head should be twice as wide as the other three slices.
3. Start with the date head piece. Place one 3/4" circle of cheese on the head. Then place  a slice of date on the cheese.  Place another 3/4" slice of cheese on the previous date slice and then another slice of date. Place the smaller circle of cheese on next, then the small  slice of date for the end of the bees body.
4. Cut slivers of carrots for the antennas. Stick in the date head of the bee.
5. Cut two wings out of a slice of cheese and place on the sides of the bees body.

Inch Worm

What you will need:

Green grapes for body, Swiss Cheese for feet, Carrot for antennas

To make:

 1. Cut a thin slice of Swiss cheese about 1 1/2" wide by 3" long for the feet. Cut notches into both long sides of the cheese to form feet.
2. Cut a thin slice off the long side of 3 grapes and one larger grape so that they have a flat side to rest on the cheese feet.
3. Place the three smaller grapes in a row on the cheese feet.
4. Poke two holes in the larger grape where the antennas should go. Cut two slivers of carrots and stick in holes to form antennas.
5. Place the larger grape head in front of the row of grapes.
*Note: You may want to use toothpicks to keep the grapes together if you are making these for older children.

 To make Salad:

1. Wash lettuce and tear into bit size pieces.
2. Place in a large bowl.
3. Place bugs on the lettuce. (Top)

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Bite-Size Bees - Caution!! - Make sure none of the children are allergic to peanut butter before you use this recipe.

What you will need:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 12 squares)
1 square (1 ounce) semisweet chocolate (or just use store bought icing)
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
paper plates

What to do:

1. Cream the peanut butter, butter, and sugar until smooth.
2. Add the graham cracker crumbs and mix well. (You might want to have the dough all ready before class. It will probably work better if it is chilled well)
3. Give each child a teaspoonful of dough. Show them how to shape the dough into 1 - 1 1/4 inch ovals. When they are finished have them place the ovals on their own paper plate with their names on them.
4. Place the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high for one minute or until melted. Transfer the melted chocolate to a resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in one corner of the bag. Show the children how to squeeze the bag and pipe stripes onto their bees. (To make things easier and less messy you can buy chocolate icing in the tubes)
5. Show the children how to insert two almonds into each bee to make wings.
6. Show them how to use toothpicks to poke holes for eyes.
7. Have the children save their bees for snack time.

©2004, Digital by Design, Inc. -* See Copyright Information

Raven Cookies

What you will need:

1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup milk
4 cups sugar
2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
1 cup of peanut butter (optional)
6 cups of old fashioned oatmeal

Nilla Chocolate Wafers
Candy corn
3D’s Doritos
Blue or green icing in a
tube with a decorating
tip with a small hole

Make the dough for the raven’s body:

1. Mix cocoa, sugar, and milk stirring well in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the margarine. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage. (Drop a small amount of the hot mixture into a cold cup of water. If the mixture sticks together slightly when you push it together with your fingers, it is in a soft ball stage.) Do not over cook because they will be too dry and fall apart.
2. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter and oats. Scoop onto waxed paper that has been placed on a cookie sheet.

To complete the Ravens:

Raven's head - Add candy corn or 3D’s Doritos for a beak. Use icing to make the eyes.

Raven with wings - Cut one Chocolate Wafer in half to make two wings. Push wafer halves into the sides of the raven’s body. Cut another wafer into a triangular shape for the tail feathers. Push into the top of the raven’s body. Push a Candy Corn or a 3D’s Doritos into the lower half of the body for a beak. Add eyes with icing.

©2004, Digital by Design, Inc. -* See Copyright Information

Play Dough - Here is something you can do with your child that is lots of fun and creative! This is the best recipe I have found for play dough. It feels just like the stuff you buy in the store!  Children of any age will love to help measure stir and knead the dough.

What you will need:
1 1/2 cups of water
2 Tbs. of cooking oil
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of salt
4 Tbs. cream of tartar (I've used only 2 Tbs. and it has worked fine and lasts just as long.)

Directions:
1. Combine the water and oil in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Combine the flour salt and cream of tartar in a large saucepan.
3. Over medium heat pour the water and oil mixture into the flour mixture stirring constantly. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes until a ball of dough forms. (The dough doesn't stick as much if you use a double boiler or a pan set inside a pan of water)
4. Cool the dough for five minutes and then knead it with your hands until it is smooth.
5. Divide the dough into smaller portions and add different colors of food color to each. (If you don't want to get food coloring on your hands. Make only half the recipe and add  the food coloring to the water before mixing in the flour.)
6. Store in the refrigerator in small baggies when not in use.

Fun things you can do with play dough:

1. Use toothpicks of craft sticks to make cages for all here tiny animals.
2. Have someone hide a small object inside a large ball of play dough and try to guess what it is or try to find it by cutting it open.
3. Use old felt tip markers to decorate play dough cookies, flowers, or birthday cakes.
4. Add fine glitter to your dough for a festive affect. (Adding glitter will affect the dough and it won't last as long.)

Ideas sent in by Readers:

You can improve this recipe a whole bunch if you substitute some inexpensive baby oil for the vegetable oil. It smells better and you do not have to refrigerate it because it will not mold. It will last months, smell wonderful, and not mold.

If you add 3/4 of a cup of lavender chamomile baby lotion instead of oil you get incredibly smooth, wonderful smelling play dough. We call it "soothing play dough" because it calms kids and adults down to play with it.

You can also add things to the play dough. Add sawdust to the play dough when you are teaching about Noah building the ark. Make white play dough when teaching about the cloud by day. Rita

White Bread Play Dough - This recipe, made with white bread and glue, has a fine, elastic texture that won't crack even during intricate modeling projects like earrings, buttons,  beads or tiny figurines. This recipe dries out quickly, so it's best to make only as much as your child will use in one sitting.

What you need: 1 to 2 slices white bread, crusts removed and 1 Tablespoon white glue

What to do: Rip one slice of bread into tiny pieces and drop into a large bowl. Add the glue and mix with a fork until all the bread crumbs are moistened. The mix should be pliable and somewhat sticky. If it's too wet to roll into a ball, mix in more bread pieces. Gather the dough into a ball, kneading it for a minute or two or rolling it between your palms, until it becomes elastic and satiny. If the dough begins to dry out as your child models it, he can dip his fingertips in water (have  a small bowl handy.) and knead the  dough until pliable. When the sculptures air-dry, about 1 to 3 days, paint with acrylics.  To add a hard, semi gloss finish, mix equal parts of water and white glue and brush on several  coats.

Sidewalk chalk and sidewalk paint - Make sidewalk paint by mixing 1/2 cup cornstarch into 1/2 cup cold water and add 4 to 5 drops of food coloring.  Provide 1"  to 3" wide paint brushes and the kids will love painting on the sidewalks. Use sidewalk chalk dipped in water to add details and outlines to your pictures.