Cinnamon Roll Snails

Another cute idea to serve up for breakfast to the kids.

Have had this one in my "to try" list for a long time, found at Cute Food for Kids.

Cinnamon Roll Snails

Pillsbury Jumbo size cinnamon rolls
Toothpicks
Marshmallows
Food marker


Set the cinnamon rolls on a greased cookie sheet, or foil lined sheet as I have done.  Unroll the cinnamon roll a little to make the neck and head of the snail.

You can trim the tip to make it more rounded but I didn't do that.

Bake according to the package directions, which should be 350 degrees for 16 to 22 minutes until nice golden brown and top looks dry.

In the meantime, make the eyes using toothpicks, mini marshmallows (I didn't have mini ones so I just tore off little pieces and rolled them into a ball.  Draw a black dot with the food marker.

When the buns are done, remove from the heat.  Let cool a little, then slather on some icing on the shell.  Pop on the eyes and you can even do a little mouth if you wish.

Enjoy! My kids thought they were the cutest things on earth, and I have to agree. I think next time I'll make homemade tiny cinnamon rolls for little snails.

Sloppy Joe Bun Buggy

So in my attempt to keep my kids minds off daddy being gone, I have tried to make them fun meals, something that will bring a smile to their faces.

Tonight's dinner definitely did that.

Back when Jasmine was in kindergarten, the school had a book fair and one of the books I picked up was this really cute little book of Kid's Snacks.  It's filled with really cute ideas.

I wish you all could have seen their faces when they came to the dinner table, they were so shocked and excited.  The next few minutes were spent comparing buggies, telling each other stories about where they were driving, and even crashing one of the buggies and then putting it back together again LOL

I think mission accomplished and score another for mommy.

Sloppy Joe Bun Buggy

Source:  Silly Snacks

Hotdog Buns
Homemade Sloppy Joe Mix (or your favorite sloppy joe recipe)
Pretzel sticks
Cucumber, sliced
Olives


Don't slice the hotdog buns.  Using a knife cut a hole on the top of the bun and scoop out the inside.

Take a pretzel stick and gently stick it through the bun in the back, from one side to the other, then pop on a cucumber slice on each side for the back wheels.  Do the same with the front.

For the lights, cut a black olive in half, then break a pretzel stick in half, gently push it through the front of the bun where you want the light located, stick half of an olive on there.

Fill the inside of the bun with sloppy joe meat mixture.

That's it.  Easy Peasy but they look really cute :)

And according to Nicholas, this poor buggy crashed LOL

Sea Serpents

Boy did we have a tough day today.

My kids favorite fish died and they were just devastated, my 9 year old moreso.  He is so upset, hurt, angry at this and it's a hard thing to watch and help him through.

So I decided that for dinner I would make them something fun to dinner.  Out came this little book I've had for about 10 years now, with all sorts of silly snacks/meals for the kids.

Sea Serpents started forming in the kitchen and were very much enjoyed by the kids.

These are really quick to make and if you want to make your kids smile, this is the way to go.

Sea Serpents

1 (8-ounce) package crescent dinner rolls (8 rolls)
cereal rings
1 egg, beaten
Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and poppy seeds (I used flax seed)
1 can (6 ounces) water-packed tuna, drained
Mayonnaise
Red pepper strips


Separate dough into triangles. Press each triangle into serpent shape, with thin tapered tail and wider head, on baking sheet. Head should be about 1/4 inch thick.

Press cereal rings onto head for eyes. Brush dough serpents with egg; sprinkle with choice of seeds. Bake according to crescent roll package directions.

Remove from oven to wire racks; cool. Slice head end lengthwise to form "mouth." Mix tuna with mayonnaise to taste. Fill mouth with tuna mixture. Add pimiento strips for tongues, if desired. Garnish with parsley, if desired, for "seaweed."

Serving Suggestion
Fill the mouths of these hungry creatures with peanut butter, egg salad, chicken salad or strips of cold cuts.

It's been one of those days, I've been in the kitchen for hours and it's not even noon yet, but after these, I'm stepping away until dinnertime.



Time for this mamma to take a break.



If your kids love corn dogs or mini corn dogs as mine do, then you're going to want to fix these for them, PRONTO!

They are so good and again, maybe because they're homemade, they are so much tastier than store bought.

The recipe comes from one of my favorite food blogs A Cozy Kitchen.

Corn Dog Tots

Vegetable Oil

2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, cornmeal

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg

1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, buttermilk, shaken

1/4 cup corn starch

6 beef hot dogs, cut into 1-inch medallions

1. Prep: Grab a pair of tongs and line a baking sheet with paper towels. (For draining the corn dogs after frying.) Pour your oil in a cast iron skillet, dutch oven until it reaches about 3-inches up the sides of the pot or skillet. Heat oil until your thermometer reads 340 degrees F.

Note: I usually wing fried recipes and don't use my thermometer, but this is actually important. If the oil is too hot the corn dog batter will be gooey on the inside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, yellow corn meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cayenne. In a measuring cup, measure out the buttermilk and crack the egg in; beat until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, all at once, and mix until combined. (Note: If you step away from the batter for a few minutes, it might thicken up on you; if so, simply add a teaspoon of buttermilk at a time until it becomes the right consistency.)

3. Pour the cornstarch into a small bowl. One by one, lightly coat each hot dog medallion with the corn starch. When the oil is hot, using a fork or skewer, dip the hot dogs in and out of the batter, allowing any excess batter to run off. Immediately place the corn dog tots into the hot oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.



Transfer to the paper towel lined baking sheet to drain.



Place the baking sheet in a warm oven until you've cooked all of the tots.