This recipe for slushy drinks hits the spot with both kids and adults alike. As an adult, you may wish that your beverage had a little rum or something in it, but even without the addition of alcohol, you will appreciate how this tasty treat cools you off.

Kool-Aid Slushies

Place 1 cup water, 1/2 cup of your favorite flavor Kool-Aid soft drink mix, and 1 cup ice cubes in a blender container; cover.

Blend on high speed until smooth. Add an additional 2 cups ice cubes; cover. Blend, using pulsing action, until smooth. Serve immediately. Store leftover slush in the freezer.

Recipe makes 7 (1/2 cup) servings.

My three year old nephew has fallen deep into the penguin craze. At his party over the weekend I got to witness his mom creating these perfect penguin snacks for his celebration. With a little patience (they like to fall over if you do not wait for the ganache to harden and cool completely), you too can join in on all the penguin fun.

You can find the recipe after the jump.

Perky Penguins (from Taste of Home Magazine)

• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1-1/2 teaspoons shortening
• 12 large marshmallows
• 2 packages (2-1/4 ounces each) Tootsie Rolls
• 12 miniature chocolate chips
• 18 pieces candy corn
• 6 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave, uncovered, at 50% power for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until chips are melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool slightly. Place a small amount of chocolate mixture on top of six marshmallows. Let stand for 1 hour or until set.
Warm the chocolate mixture. For the penguin bodies, carefully dip sides of the marshmallows in chocolate mixture so three-fourths of the marshmallows are covered, leaving about 3/4-in. vertical strip of white. Let stand on waxed paper until set, about 1 hour.
For penguin heads, cut Tootsie Rolls into two-piece sections. Place on a microwave-safe plate; microwave at 10% power for 10-15 seconds or until slightly warmed. Carefully roll each into a ball.
With a toothpick, position chocolate chips for eyes. For beaks, cut off yellow end of six candy corn pieces; flatten remaining candy slightly. Press gently into chocolate balls. Reheat chocolate mixture. Dab a small amount onto bottom of each ball; position on penguin bodies. Let stand until set, about 45 minutes.
Separate cream-filled cookies; remove and discard cream filling. For wings, cut six cookies in half. Rewarm the chocolate mixture. Spread a small amount on each cookie half; attach to penguins with cut edge facing forward.
For bases, attach penguins to remaining cookies using melted chocolate. For feet, remove white ends of remaining candy corn pieces and discard; flatten candy. Attach two candies to each cookie base. Let stand for 45 minutes or until set.

Yield: 6 penguins.

One recipe that I decided to involve my kids in right away is a version of the supermarket Bomb Pops that are so popular with the young ones. This version, however, is made with creamy vanilla yogurt instead of the normal sugary popsicle substance.

I made my popsicles using regular popsicle molds. The way that Family Fun suggests you make them makes these treats look like authentic Bomb Pops which makes them even more fun to eat.

Independence Day Pops

• 3 Cups Vanilla Yogurt
• Red Food Coloring
• White Food Coloring
• Blue Food Coloring
• Waxed Paper
• Sugar Cones
• Popsicle Sticks

Step 1
To make a half dozen pops, tint 1/2 cup of the yogurt with red food coloring and 1 1/2 cups with blue food coloring. Leave the rest plain.

Step 2
Make waxed paper cone liners by folding six 12-inch square sheets into triangles, wrapping each around a sugar cone, and using tape to hold the shape. Then place the paper cones inside the sugar cones.

Step 3
Fill each cone with 1 tablespoon red yogurt, followed by 2 tablespoons white yogurt, then 3 tablespoons blue yogurt. Insert a Popsicle stick and freeze the pops until firm, about 4 hours, using the cone box with six circles cut out to keep them upright.

There is nothing out there that is quite as gratifying to me as smashing, kneading, chopping, beating, etc. the heck out of food. When I am stressed, give me a recipe that calls for doing something inhumane to the ingredients and by the time I have an end product, my stress is gone.
This morning, my kids were not getting along at all. From the moment they woke up they were bickering with each other about every little thing. They were apparently frustrated with each other and needed a quick intervention. I decided to try to distract them some. They could help me make breakfast, and while doing so, they could relieve some of their obvious stress by smashing some strawberries. I got out two bowls and divided the berries among them. I gave them each a vegetable smasher and they went to town destroying their own little bowl of berries. Instead of fussing and arguing, I heard giggling and laughing. Before I knew it, the first step to our breakfast muffin recipe was done and the moods of my children had changed dramatically.

Together we finished adding the ingredients, stirring it up and making the muffins. We ended up having a lovely breakfast of delicious Berry Smash muffins. The kids were so proud of their part in making breakfast and I was just thrilled to have a morning where the bickering was squelched from the start.

For your own at-home therapy session, give this recipe for Berry Smash Muffins a try.

Berry Smash Muffins (from Recipezaar)

• 1 2/3 cups fresh strawberries
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

I love anything that encourages a child to help out in the kitchen. Cooking is such a great learning activity for kids, and the new Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook takes cooking with kids to a whole new level. The Handstand Series of books is aimed at teaching children how to cook, as well as helping to educate them about other cultures.

The first thing I noticed about the book was the packaging. Perfect for children, the cookbook arrived in a square, pizza delivery style box, complete with a cute little chefs hat.

Once I opened the cookbook, I was even more impressed. This book does so much more than teach children the fine art of Italian cooking. The first couple of pages are devoted to the Italian language. Provided are 50 plus translations of common English utensils and ingredients into Italian. Another huge plus is the charity and volunteer section, which gently nudges our children into knowing how important it is to make sure that children around the world are safe and have enough food to eat.

I decided to give this cookbook the true test. We had a few kids over to teach them some basic Italian and have them try their hand at the Oh My, Pizza Pie recipe. The kids had a great time trying to pronounce all of the Italian words and had even more fun building their very own pizzas.

All in all, this cookbook is such a great resource for kids in the kitchen. The recipes are straightforward, the illustrations are a lot of fun, and your kids will learn a lot without even realizing it.

The Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook is the first in the series by Yvette Garfield. I am anxious to see the next books in the series, as I am sure my kids will have as much fun with the future editions as they have had with this book.

Oh My, Pizza Pie!

Ingredients

• Ready made dough (I used Jiffy box mix)
• 1 26-ounce jar of marinara sauce
• 12 ounces of grated mozzarella cheese
• Optional toppings (mushrooms, spinach, pepperoni, tomatoes, eggplant, sausage, etc.)
• 1/2 cup of flour

Tools

• Baking Sheet
• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Rolling Pin

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
2. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit for 30-60 minutes
3. Oil a large baking sheet and stretch the dough into a big circle with the edges a little thicker to hold it better.
4. Sprinkle the dough with flour and use a rolling pin to even out the dough. Continue to add flour as needed so that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin.
5. Spoon a layer of sauce onto the pizza, but leave the edges plain.
6. Sprinkle the mozzarella all over the pizza.
7. Add the toppings that you love!
8. Place the pizza in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Getting creative at snack time is always a challenge for me. I know that other moms share this struggle as well. It is hard to get out of the cheese and crackers rut. Thank goodness there are resources out there to help us out. One of my favorite places to turn for snack time inspiration is Family Fun Magazine and the Family Fun website. This family of resources is my number one place to turn when I need something creative for the kids… whether it be a craft, party ideas or simple snack solutions.

A couple of years ago, Family Fun Magazine posted a snack recipe that caught my eye. It is a recipe that I make several times a month now for snack. It is simple, the kids can help to make it, we always have the ingredients on hand, and it is a tasty snack that they love.

South of the Border S’Mores

I struggle with keeping healthy snack options in our treat basket. Many of the snacks out there for kids are convenient in their individual pouches, but are not always the healthiest. With my daughter being such a grazer, I really have been searching for snack options that will be healthy for her and will supply her with the proper vitamins and nutrients she needs on a daily basis.

This is where Kid Didits enters the picture. Kid Didits are snacks geared toward children between the ages of 6-11 and they are packed with many of the vitamins and nutrients kids need to “meet the demands of their growing bodies”. They come in portable, individual packages and are available in a variety of flavors. Each package contains 100 calories or less and has no artificial preservatives, flavors, no high fructose corn syrup and zero grams of trans fats. This is the kind of snack Moms around the world have been hunting for! I know what you are thinking though… this is all great and sounds perfect, but a snack doesn’t do me any good if the taste factor isn’t there. Well…let me put it this way to you…I know a snack is good when my kids fight over who gets the last package of something. I know it is even better when as an adult, I’m fighting over the last package with them.

Here is a rundown of some of the flavors we tried and our opinions:

• Mini Vanilla Cookies – These were voted as the favorite of the bunch by my kids and I. These are crunchy little morsels packed with a strong vanilla flavor. They are sweet and so tasty.
• Pretzel Launchers – These little pretzel balls would be a great addition to the lunch box or for a treat after school. They are super crunchy and fun to eat.
• Chocolate Vanilla Sundae Bar – This is the only option that none of us cared for. In fact, we each took a bite and threw the rest of it away. With the description and title, I thought for sure this would be my favorite, but it just didn’t do much for us.
• Really Cheesy Crackers – My kids love Cheeze-Its. These star shaped Kid Didits crackers are what I will be giving them instead. They are even better tasting than the Cheeze crackers on the shelves today and the star shapes make them fun to eat.
• Little Dipper Chocolate Cookies – These were so-so in our opinion. They were crunchy and fun, but we thought they were almost too crunchy. With the fun shape, they would be great to dip into pudding or something, but I don’t see us doing that very often.
• Mini Chocolate Cookies – Another favorite. The same as the mini vanilla cookies but packed with a delectable chocolate flavor.

If you are interested in getting your hands on some of these treats that are moving in the right direction health-wise for our children, visit your local Wal-Mart Super Centers. At roughly $3.00 for a container of 6 packages, you’ll find Kid Didits to be a great addition to your snack basket.

• ABC - A few weeks ago we had days where everything we ate at lunch time had to correspond to a letter of the alphabet. For example, one day was the letter “P”. On “P” day we had pepperoni personal pizzas, pineapple, and pudding. On “S” day we had salad, sandwiches, strawberry yogurt, and a few Starbursts for dessert. I get my children involved at the grocery store, helping me to pick out food that matches the corresponding letters for the week.
• Picnic Lunch - Indoors or out, changing the venue of your lunch from the kitchen table to a blanket spread out really gets the kids excited. Our picnic lunches are always special!
• Shapes - Turn a boring old sandwich into something fun simply by using a large cookie cutter and cutting the sandwhich into a fun shape. We did hearts and I plan on doing shamrocks for St Patrick’s Day. My picky 3 year old, who usually picks her sandwiches apart, ate the entire thing and loved every bit of it!
• Backwards Day - My kids always get a kick out of having breakfast for lunch or dinner. They think it is so silly that Mommy forgot what time of day it was and made them the wrong thing at lunchtime!
• Kabobs - Buy some dull skewers and have a “Kabob” lunch. We’ve done this with different fruits, veggies, lunch meats, and even chicken nuggets. There is something about having lunch on a stick that makes my kids really interested in what they are eating.
• Restaurant - This is the favorite for my children. I hand them a pretend menu and they get to choose what they want for lunch off the menu. I am their server and when their food is ready I bring them their meal. I refill drinks, clear the table and always remind them to tip their waitress. Kids love pretend play and they also love acting like “big” kids at a real restaurant.

I am finally realizing that lunch time doesn’t have to be boring and doesn’t have to be a struggle. All of the above ideas take very little time and the response from my children has been so exciting. It takes such little things to please them and to make a day memorable. If you have any special lunch time tricks, please e-mail them to me at thedoyles at everestkc dot net. I would love to do a future write up with your ideas included.

Does this sound familiar? Dinner is ready… you are trying to get everyone gathered around table. Once seated, you pass around the food and as it is going around your kids are throwing endless demands at you. “Mom, I need more milk.” “Mom, I need another napkin.” “Mom, can you get me some dip for my veggies?” By the time you actually get to sit down to start eating, your food is cold and the race through dinner has ended — everyone is asking to be excused.  Your dream of having a nice, leisurely dinner together as a family has come to a halt and reality has hit hard. Your family is not connecting over the dinner table. They are simply there to bark demands, eat, and run.

Author Julieanne Smith was tired of having her kitchen table be the site of a hit and run. She wanted more… she wanted her family to connect around the table and for the conversations to be deep and meaningful. Isn’t that how it was when we all grew up? We didn’t have a million places to be; life was slower and dinner time was an important event in our everyday lives.

Julieanne created a wonderful product to help solve this problem for all of us. The product is called “Food For Talk,” and it is a recipe box full of thought provoking questions to get your family communicating around the table again. The concept is simple: place the box of cards on the kitchen table at meal time and have one child pick a card. That child then reads the question out loud and gives everyone the chance to ponder the question and think about their answers. Then, as dinner is progressing, you go around the table and each person gets the chance to say their answer to the question out loud. The answers in turn will often result in even deeper conversation –  just as every parent out there dreams about having with their children.

Some of our favorite questions from the collection are:

• Finish this sentence: “The most beautiful thing I have ever seen is…”
• What is your least favorite household chore? Are there any you like to do?”
• Name ten reasons why you are glad to be alive.

Before you throw out the caution flag and go on strike with your family, change the rules of the dinner race. Pick up some of Julieanne’s cards and see if you can change the dinner sprint into a marathon event. Make meal time an occasion that everyone in the family looks forward to and make it one where you can bring the connection we all long for back to the table.

Food For Talk can be purchased at specialty bookstores as well as through Amazon.com.

I will also be the first to admit that I do have some mall favorites. Growing up, a big old slab of Sbarro’s pepperoni pizza was my answer when someone would ask me what my favorite food was. When I was pregnant with my first child, I became addicted to the Kung Pao Chicken at Panda Express. When I was pregnant with Ella, my third baby, the pretzel bites at Pretzel Time were a favorite and because I had two other kids, they quickly became a favorite of theirs as well.

Last week, we faced another day stuck at home because of the snow. Another lovely snow day in Kansas City. As a gal who likes to be outside soaking up the sunshine, you can imagine how that made me feel. I knew I was in trouble when shortly after waking up, Kelly started begging for pretzel bites. Jacob soon got on the bandwagon and started hounding me about going to the mall to get pretzel bites.  There was no way I was going out in this weather with three kids simply to satisfy a food craving.

I have made homemade pretzels before and they were pretty good. I decided to give them a try for lunch today. I used a bread machine recipe, which made it easy for me to get some work done this morning while my bread maker did the other work. When the dough was done and the pretzels were shaped, I decided to cut some of them into “bites”, put some pepperoni and mozzarella on some others, and leave some of them in the traditional twisted shape with coarse salt.

This was a great lunch… my kids were so excited that Mommy had made pretzel bites like at the mall. I was happy that they stopped begging and that making a trip out in the snow wasn’t necessary.

If you are looking for something fun to make for your kids, something out of the ordinary, try bringing the mall pretzel shop to your house. Consider the endless amount of options for shaping the dough – you can do hearts, their names, ABCs, and 123s. Get creative and have some fun. Your kids will love you for it!

The recipe I used is from Recipezaar and can be found by clicking here – Soft Pretzels for the Bread Machine.