For the Kiddos

The girls and I were in the kitchen ALL.DAY.LONG New Year's Eve day.

But what fun we had!!!

Thought I'd share a couple of our creations, because I'm always looking for Kid-Friendly snacks, and my daughters ALL definitely approved these:


Pizza~Pretzel Bites:


The Dough:

1 1/2 Cups Warm Water
2 Tbsps. Brown Sugar
1 Pkg. Active Dry Yeast
3 ozs. Melted Butter
3 tsps. Salt
1 Egg
5 Cups Flour  {or so}

I add the warm water, brown sugar, and yeast to a bowl, and let it sit for a few minutes, to get bubbly and yummy.

Then I add in melted butter, salt, and a beaten egg.

Lastly comes the flour. 
I just keep adding more until the dough isn't sticky any longer.

Set aside to rise for about an hour.


Once it's risen, dump it out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into long ropes.

I use a pizza cutter to divide dough into strips about 3-4 inches long. 
Then I flatten the dough and place a piece of pepperoni and a little chunk of string cheese
on one side.  Like so:

 

Then fold over so that you've made a little "pocket" of pizza goodness.

I seal it all up, and then place in a pot of boiling baking soda-water

About a 1/2 cup or so of baking soda to 3-4 quarts of water.

Let each pocket boil for 25-30 seconds, and remove with a slotted spoon.

I then place them in a 13x9 pan and brush them with a bit of butter, and sprinkle with sea salt

Then throw 'em on in to the oven for about 15 minutes at 400* {or until they turn golden on top}

They'll come out looking something like this:

And then you can go ahead and start shoveling them to your mouth
Or share them with your kiddos.  Whatever.

We also made Jell-O Parfait Treats for our quiet, little New Year's Eve :

We made up the Jell-O according to package directions, but substituted Ginger Ale for the cold water.

We, of course, added whipped cream and sprinkles because . . .

Well, we just love sprinkles.

 

 

 Your favorite kid-tested treats and snacks??

Do share! 

 

 

 

Kid Food

This little pumpkin below has not been the greatest eater lately.  If I remember correctly, Sierra went through this stage when she was about Kam's age.  Makenna did too.  Of course, I'm a lot more laid back about it now, because I know that she will grow out of it.  I try to get them to eat their fruits and veggies, and to understand that they don't always have multiple choices when it comes to meals.  Sometimes, though, you have to pick your battles, and just pull out the "kid food".

I make these pizza pockets whenever the girls are getting tired of sandwiches and soups for lunch.
They're SUPER easy, fast, and they disappear quite quickly.



All you need is a can or two {we use two} of refrigerated crescent roll dough, grated cheese, and any other toppings you choose.  I used to spread tomato paste on too, but we don't love a lot of sauce, and after awhile, I just quit using it.  Unroll the crescent roll dough, but don't peel the sections apart.  Lay half of it flat on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle plenty of cheese on top {we do, however, enjoy a lot of cheese}.  Then we arrange some Turkey Pepperoni on top of that.  You could even add olives and mushrooms.  {My girls don't care for either, and since this is supposed to be kid-friendly, I cater to them ;)}  Maybe another little sprinkle of cheese, and then top with the other half of the crescent roll dough.  Bake at 375 degrees until the top is golden brown {maybe 15 minutes?  I'm not sure I've ever timed it}, and enjoy!

Let me know if you decide to make these, or if you've made your own version.  And if you have your own kid-friendly {and easy!  Easy is always good} meal ideas, do share!