Deserts and Appetizers You Can Make with Your Kids

Being a Parent is not always easy, we all know that and often enough we don't have as much time as we would like to have. However that does not mean we can not kill several birds with one stone. In my Family it has always been extremely important to know and teach how to cook, something we all will need as we get older. Spending Time with my Kids was always high up on the list as well and what child doesn't like getting their little hands dirty. Sharing and Caring Time in my home was often done in the Kitchen when my kids were younger and even now my Teenage Daughter and I cook together at least 3 Nights a Week.

Teaching your children some simple to make Recipes that they can impress their Grandparents or Friends with is fun. Watching their faces light up as they get the Praise for being wonderful Cooks is a reward all on its own. Of course the recipes should be age appropriate and you don't leave the kitchen until they are much older.

I personally had my little helpers (both boy and girl) in the Kitchen with me as young as 3 Years hold. Another favorite Past Time in our house is the making up and telling of Stories. So here are some of our favorite Stories and their Recipes grouped by Age. Enjoy.

Age Group: 3 and up.

The little chocolate Chip Monster.
Once upon a time, in a land not far away, actually it is right in your Kitchen there lived a Fairy that loved to create little Creatures from the Items she found in her Domain.
One day, she was very lonely and she wanted someone to talk to, so she opened up her cabinets wide and pulled out a Bag of Flour, a Bottle of Vanilla Sugar, a Jar of Sugar, a second Jar of brown Sugar, the little salt shaker with the funny face and her old friend the box of baking soda. Once she had all her old friends assembled she went into the forest of ice and snow (also known as the refrigerator in normal kitchens) and pulled out some butter and a couple of eggs. She had to promise the Wizard of the woods that jealously guarded his treasures that she would only use as much as she absolutely had to and would bring him a couple of new creatures in return. He agreed and she quickly closed to gates to the Forest so the snow and ice would not fly out.

In her Domain there were all kinds of Bowls, long wooden ladles and spoons etc.

She carefully mixed a couple of eggs, 2 sticks of softened butter and a teaspoon of Vanilla Sugar together. She mixed them up very carefully until it looked all soft and smooth. Suddenly the Fairy remembered that she needed to talk to her friend the dragon ( we know it as an Oven) and ask him of he shall hatch the creation for her once it was ready. She explained to him that he should be very careful of it and the temperature should not go any higher then 350 degrees. He was a very old and wise Dragon and knew just how to do it. He set him-self behind a shelf and set a piece of metal to about the middle by his breath then he started practicing to gently breath fire to not make it too hot or cold.

The Fairy was well pleased and went back to mix some more of her ingredients together. In a second Bowl she mixed 2 cups of Flour, a pinch of salt and 1 little teaspoon filled with the precious Baking Soda her friend in the Box agreed to give to her. She mixed it up very well indeed and brought it next to the first bowl. In the first Bowl with the rich looking smooth mixture she added ½ cup of white Sugar and ¾ cup of brown sugar until it looked just right. Now as she looked at the two bowls thoughtfully, she knew that her friends would want to be combined together, after all we like spending time with our friends. She mixed the flour mixture with the smooth butter mixture until it was all nice and blended.

You wouldn't want it to be a mean Creature so the dough had to be sweet but not too sweet. She took a taste of it with the tip of a small spoon and it was just right.

She took a long sheet of metal (we call it a cookie sheet) and then she dropped spoonfuls of the mixture on it. However when she looked at the little globs of dough lying there, all misshapen, she noticed that they had no eyes, no nose and no mouth. She decided to once more looked in her cupboard and see what she may find. She found some chocolate chip and with those she gave them the eyes, the mouth and the nose. Once so complete she walked the sheet of metal over to her friend the Dragon and carefully placed it on the shelf the Dragon had set up for it. She told him she would just clean her mess up real quick and be back in about 10 minutes. She did just that. She put all her friends back where they belonged, returned the butter and eggs she had not needed as she had promised and gave the now empty bowl, spoon and measuring cup a nice warm dish bath so they would be pretty for later when they would meet the new creature.
After about 10 minutes the Dragon started making funny noises (Egg Timer) and she knew that her creatures were starting to rumble.

She thanked the Dragon who was so tired from keeping them warm that he shut off his fire and took a nap. She smiled and gentle closed his big mouth which he had left open.

The chocolate Chip monsters were talking and jumping all over the place. They had spread out in all different shapes and had grown. As promised she carefully lifted a few off the metal sheet and placing them on a plate and brought them to the Wizard in the Forest.

The others she put on a second Tray and then she walked away for only a few moments. Can you guess what happened? You are right as she had turned her back the little goblins that lived in the rest of her Realm (yes, that would be the little cookie monsters we call kids) came and snagged the Chocolate Chip Monsters and we never heard from them again.

Kids are wonderful at remembering Stories and the sequence of them. As you tell the Story, you have them get the items as described and perform the Actions with your help of course. You (the Fairy) have to put the metal sheet in and out of the Dragon of course.

Age Group: 6 and up.

The Devils Eggs

It was close to Samhain (Halloween) when the veil between the Worlds was getting thinner and thinner. There were (add your number of kids here) Children named (add your kids names here) who had just heard about the Devil from a Friends Parents. In their house they (here you add either that they knew all about the devil if you are Christian or that they didn't believe in them depending on your religious preference). Their Friends had told such a scary Story, it being so close to Halloween and all that they (name of kids here) were scared to meet the Devil in Person.
Since these Kids were always hungry they thought that perhaps the Devil too would be hungry all the time. They figured that if they would make him something nice to eat he would forget all about them.

So they ran home and when they came into the Kitchen they found that the Refrigerator was pretty empty. They did however find a dozen of Eggs, some mayonnaise, a bit of mustard and in the kitchen cupboard they found some salt and paprika.

The Kids thought about what they could make with this. They decided to cook the Eggs until they would be nice and hard boiled. Once they were done they peeled the eggs and cut them in half to make it look like more. "Now what?" They thought. Then the youngest had an idea. What if they would take the yellow part of the eggs out very carefully then they would have even more. So they did and put them in a bowl. Now they had more food, but the empty egg whites looked so empty. The older one had another idea, what if they would add some mustard and mayonnaise to it and maybe a little salt. Mix it all together with the yellow eggs parts? It may taste pretty good. They did and tried it and it was good. Since it was all nice and smooth and creamy they decided to put it back into the egg whites. Once they were done they remembered that their friend's parents had told them that devils favorite color was red so they decided to sprinkle a bit of paprika over the eggs. This way they were sure he would not pass those up. They took the plate with the "Devils Eggs" and set them outside far away from their house when Halloween came and you know what? It must have worked, because the kids never did see the Devil that night or any other after that.

Age Group: 9 and up.

Peanut Butter Pie (no bake)

Most of us love Peanut Butter and it is one of those messy, yet simple enough Deserts that the Kids can have fun making. In the Summer Heat, we want to slave as little as possible over a hot oven or stove. At this Age Group it is their turn to make up the Story and it is also time to send them on a Quest first. They are the valiant Adventurers and they are on a Quest in a far away kingdom named the (what every grocery Store you shop at). They have a list of Magic items they have to find and bring to the Healer of (whatever city you live in). On their scroll of fine Parchment they have the following Items written out. A Jar of Peanut Butter creamy, a vile of Vanilla Sugar,1 tub of Cool Whip prepared by the pixies, 1 Package of original Cream Cheese from the far way kingdom of Philadelphia. Further more they must discover a sack of white pure Sugar so fine it is granulated and one magical Oreo Cookie Graham Pie Shell.
Once they have found all the correct Items at the store and you have paid for them go home and then write down the following Instructions.

Mix 1 cup Peanut Butter and Cream Cheese together in Bowl until well blended. Add ½ - ¾ cup Sugar and 1 ½ tbl. Vanilla Sugar. Fold the Cool Whip under slowly until it is all mixed well together. Put mixture in Oreo Cookie Pie Shell. Let cool in Refrigerator for at least 3 Hours.
Tell them that when they came to the Healer's cottage they found this magical scroll and the Healer was gone. On a separate note it said that she had been bewitched and only a slice of the finished Pie could save her. It is their Quest to make the pie.

Tell them they now have to tell the Story of how they worked their "magic".

You can serve it up "as is" after cooling or decorate it with Whip Cream (Can) and Chocolate slivers.
Note: This desert is very high in Calories and is very filling. You only need a small Piece to enjoy this wonderful Treat. (This Recipe has been in my Family for a couple of Years now. It was told to me by a Friend that loves Peanut Butter)

If you enjoyed these Ideas look for more Ideas coming soon. The Stories are just Ideas, if you are gifted at telling tales you can make them up anyway you wish to fit your beliefs and morals. The Recipes are part of the Story and you can have tons of fun creating and eating it later.