KXKC Happenings
99.1 KXKC Kids Korner
As the father of 3 girls, Ray is always experiencing new things around the house and always
looking for fun things to do with the kids - so each week we will feature some fun things to
do with the kids that are family friendly, fun and most of the time taste great too!
You can always submit your ideas too, just email ray@kxkc.com
Apple Froggy!
Here's whay you need to HOP to the store to get:
Green apple
Green grapes
Chocolate Chips
Mini marshmallows or cream cheese
Toothpicks
Green Paper Plate
Cut the green apple into quarters and cut out the mouth.
Form marshmallows or cream cheese into balls for the eyes and place them on the apple.
Insert Chocolate Chip with the point into the marshmallow or cream cheese.
Cut the paper plate to form a lily pad
Put the apple on the plate (lily pad)
Cut 3 grapes in half
Slice 4 of the grapes to make the feet webbed
Take the other 2 half grapes and put a toothpick through them and attach as ears.
Now you have a fun fruity frog that can be eaten as a healthy snack!!
(Recipe from CreativeMommying.com)
Who says you can't have fun with food and enjoy it too?
Another easy recipe for you to create for your children.
1 Tomato
Cucumber
And your favorite sandwich!
Use tomato for the caterpillar head, cucumber for antennas and feet, cut your child favorite sandwich in circles. Assemble and watch them enjoy a great lunch.
Turtle Burger? Why not!
Step 1 - Handmake ground beef patties, topped with sharp cheddar cheese, wrapped in bacon weave.
Step 2 - Add hot dogs for head, legs and tail.
Step 3 - Place in oven on rack, cover loosely and bake for 20-30 mins at 375.
So how many crayons have gone to waste in your home because they were broken?
Well make new ones!
This is so simple and will get you involved with your kids!
Take all of the broken crayons and put in a cupcake pan, or even a heart shaped pan.
Preheat oven to 265, put the crayons in the oven until they have melted (parents only!)
Once they have melted take them out let them cool - and your child has some new wild
colors to have fun with!
(Courtesy of: Crazy Adventures in Parenting)
Owl Cookies
1 1/3 cup shortening, (or margarine) soft
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups crunchy peanut butter
2 2/3 all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups oatmeal
2 1-oz envelope no-melt chocolate (I use 6 tbs. of cocoa powder mixed with 2 tbs. of oil or melted butter instead.)
Semisweet chocolate chips
Whole cashews
shortening and sugar; beat until creamy. Add egg, vanilla and peanut butter; blend thoroughly. Sift (or just combine) flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to creamed mixture; blend well. Stir in oatmeal. Divide dough in half. Shape one half to form two rolls, each 8-inches long. Add chocolate to the remaining dough. Roll out chocolate dough on waxed paper to form two 8-inch squares. Place one roll on one square of chocolate dough. Wrap chocolate dough around roll; pinch seam together. Repeat for the other roll and square. Wrap in waxed paper; chill for at least 1 hour. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. Pinch chocolate dough to form 2 ears for each owl face. Use 2 chocolate chips for eyes and 1 cashew for beak. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for about 12-15 minutes. Don’t stack until the eyes have hardened!
(Courtesy of Craftzine)
A Snail for Lunch? And this is no fancy Escargot!
This is Pig in the Blanket with a fun twist!
Here's what you'll need:
Hot Dogs
Crescent rolls
Pretzel Sticks
Raisins
Honey.
Simply wrap your hot dog in the crescent rolls, save little dough to make the top shell on the snail. Bake at appropriate time for your crescent roll. Once done, insert two pretzel sticks in the front of the hot dog, insert two raisins on the pretzels for the eyes - and to get the slime? Easy put some Honey on the plate for a delicious and fun treat for all kids! Like this let Ray know email him: ray@kxkc.com
Kool-Aid Finger Paint
Materials needed:
* 2 cups flour
* 2-3 packs unsweetened Kool-Aid
* 1/2 cup salt
* 3 teaspoons oil
* 3 1/2 cups boiling water
* medium-sized bowl
Directions:
1. Mix the flour, Kool-Aid, and salt in your medium bowl
2. Add the oil to your bowl.
3. Add the bowling water slowly and carefully to the bowl (ADULTS SUPERVISION REQUIRED)
4. Stir and keep stirring as the mixture cools.
5. When the mixture has cooled, you are ready to paint!
Puppy Sandwich (Courtesy of Ziggity Zoom)
Instructions
1. Cut bread slices into a large circle. Fill with desired meat, cheese or even PB & Jelly.
2. Set on plate and then place pickle slices slightly beneath the sandwich to make ears. We usually dab the pickles and any veggies used with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
3. Cut a nose from the orange pepper and a collar from the red pepper.
4. Place Cucumber slice under one eye, using olive slices for eyes and a small piece of chive for the mouth.
5. What a cute puppy !
Need:
* 2 slices white or wheat bread
* 2 thin Pickle slices
* Red and Orange Pepper pieces
* Chives
* Olive slices
* Cucumber slice
* Sandwich filling of choice
Homemade Ice Cream for Kids
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups crushed ice
4 tablespoons salt
2 quart size Zip-loc bags
1 gallon size Zip-loc freezer bag
a hand towel or gloves to keep fingers from freezing as well!
Directions:
Mix the milk, vanilla and sugar together in one of the quart size bags. Seal tightly, allowing as little air to remain in the bag as possible
Place this bag inside the other quart size bag, again leaving as little air inside as possible and sealing well. By double-bagging, the risk of salt and ice leaking into the ice cream is minimized.
Put the two bags inside the gallon size bag and fill the bag with ice, then sprinkle salt on top. Again let all the air escape and seal the bag.
Wrap the bag in the towel or put your gloves on, and Shake, Shake, Shake! and massage the bag, making sure the ice surrounds the cream mixture.
Five to ten minutes is adequate time for the mixture to freeze into ice cream.
Tips:
Freezer bags work best because they are thicker and less likely to develop small holes, allowing the bags to leak.
(Thanks Kids Cooking Activates for this idea)
Clean and empty soup can with no lip
Cake mix
White, red and blue frosting
Sprinkles, optional
a can that doesn't have a lip extending over the opening of the can. This will make it hard to get your cake out in one smooth piece.
Clean out empty soup cans and grease well with shortening and flour. Prepare cake mix and pour into cans about 2/3 full. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool. With a knife loosen cake from edges of can and cake should slide out. Decorate sides and top of cake as desired.
Homemade Colored Sand (Thanks Annie for sending this in)
You need 3 or 4 cookie sheets ( 1 sheet per color you want to make)
1 box of salt (doesn't matter what kind)
1 box of sidewalk chalk
Several baby food jars with lids (any jar with a lid will do these are just
easier for kids to handle)
You pour some salt on the cookie sheet...then take a piece of side walk chalk and roll it in the salt. The salt absorbs the color right in front of their eyes. After you make your colors you pour them into the jars..Mixing the colors as you like in what ever order you like. When done put the lid of and you have a jar full of pretty colored sand.
Skip the store and make your own Playdough!
2 cups of plain flour
2 cups of water
1 cup salt
2 tbsp of cooking oil
1 tbsp cream of tartar
Food coloring - optional but colors are fun
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Add food coloring to the water and put it in saucepan.
Add ingredients slowly to pan of water and put over medium heat.
Stir constantly until the dough feels like stiff, smooth, mashed potatoes.
Take it off the stove to cool. Once it has cooled, knead it until it is blended smoothly.
Store the dough in an airtight container, like a Ziploc® bag or an old dough container.
Want to get rid of that doughy smell - add a drop of your favorite extract, now your kids can have lemon, almond and vanilla playdough.
4th of July Parfait
(photo credit - Southern Living)
The kids will enjoy this for the 4th of July. Pick up strawberry jello, blueberry and cool whip at the grocery store. And celebrate the 4th with your kids.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 5 hours
Ingredients
1 4-oz. package red, flavored instant jello
30 blueberries 10-15 Strawberries
1 tub of cool whip
Make Jello as directed, chill for at least 4 hours. Spoon 1/4 cup Jello into each glass. Then spoon in 1/4 cup cool whip over Jello and smooth tops. Slowly spoon 1/4 cup Jello over cool whip in each cup and chill until firm, 2 hour. Top with final layer of cool whip. Divide blueberries and strawberries among parfaits and serve.
Apple Teeth ?
Sometimes I think I have more fun making these than the kids! A delicious summer treat and so easy to make! Cut apples into slices, spread peanut butter on the inside of the apple add marshmallow between two slices of apple and you've got a good set of Apple Teeth - delicious and fun!
Hamburger Bun Pizzas
A quick and simple treat for kids during the summer!
Ingredients:
Hamburger Buns
Pizza Sauce
Cheese
Pepperoni
Coat the buns with pizza sauce, add cheese, place pepperoni - place in toaster oven or oven for a few minutes - and viola you have Hamburger Bun Pizzas... simple, easy and delicious.
Frozen Bananas
Perfect Summer Treat!
The kids will love this for the summer.
3 Bananas will make 6 frozen treats!
Cut 3 bananas in halves - insert popsicle stick into each
Freeze for up to 24 hours
Take bananas out of freezer and dip them in melted chocolate or caramel. Then roll them in nuts to add crunch! Put the in the fridge so the chocolate can harden up for about an hour - then serve and watch the smiles all summer long!
Mermaid Bananarama! (Thanks to Ziggity Zoom)
- Banana
- Mozzarella Cheese Stick
- Handful of Dried Apricots
- Handful of Dried Cranberries
- Raisin (optional)
1. Make a slice 3/4 of the way up the stick. Then pull or slice several thinner strips from each side of the mozzarella stick.
2. Cut the banana into 3 sections. Take a slice off of the bottom of each section of the banana so each section lays flat.
3. Place the banana sections on a plate to make the lower body, torso and head of the mermaid. Now take the sliced off banana and cut two strips for arms and 2 triangles for the tail fin.
4. Set the mozzarella hair on top of the mermaid's head. Cut the raisin in half and place on the mermaid for the eyes.
5. Cut several dried apricots in half lengthwise and cut a small silver for the mouth and nose.
6. Cover the mermaid's torso with apricots in the shape of a bathing suit top.
7. Cover the lower body (tail and fin) with cranberries. Now eat and enjoy!
WHAT IN THE WORLD? And WHO had this much patience?
Want to make the next time you serve Spaghetti interesting? Don't worry you won't have to painstakingly string noodles through small holes, kids will love helping you with this and the secret is below and all takes place BEFORE you cook anything.
The World Famous Octopus Hot Dog!
This is so fun to do with the kids! Simply take an un-cooked hot dog and cut slits as you see above, poke two holes for the eyes and one for the mouth - then drop into boiling water and watch the Octopus come to life. Great served over Mac 'N Cheese. Truly a kid favorite!
