From breakfast to snacks to dessert you’re covered, and can enjoy family food fun throughout the day. Use your artistic abilities in food preparation, think outside the box and enjoy some creative fun food treats. These edible creations are ideal to share with family and friends.
ANIMAL TOAST
Bring out your inner artist and put your creativity to the test. Make it into a contest with first, second, and third prize winners! How many different animals can you make? With plain toast as the base, spread peanut butter, Nutella (hazelnut spread) or cream cheese overtop in a thin layer, then get creative with fruit slices and herbs. Have banana, strawberry, grape, and blueberry slices at the ready to add eyes, ears, tails, and smiles, and watch as toast transforms into fish, monkeys, bears, owls, and anything else you and your kids can dream up.
PANCAKE FACES
Start your day with a breakfast bash of fun faces! Gather fruit, including bananas, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, and orange slices. Peel the bananas and oranges, then slice bananas into rounds for eyes and noses and cut the orange wedges into mouth shapes. Slice grapes and strawberries into rounds. Banana or strawberry slices become the eyes, and then blueberries placed in the center represent pupils for the eyes.
Make the pancakes, then see who can create the happiest face, goofiest grin, saddest look, or most neutral expression. You can even name your pancake faces. Drizzle on the syrup and dive in for a delicious meal!
FRUIT FLOWERS
It’s fun and super easy to bring edible spring blooms to your kitchen table! Set out the plates and have the kids and kids-at-heart arrange a yummy bouquet. Gather a collection of fruits such as bananas, strawberries, blueberries and grapes, and cut into round slices. Put a round pistil, or center of the flower, on the plate, then arrange fruit “petals” all around it in a circle. Add multiple layers, if you like, and then add some edible leaves. If available, peppermint, spearmint and lemon balm make excellent leaves. Heads up—it won’t be long before those plates are empty again!
ANTS ON A LOG
Wash celery and cut into sticks about three inches long. Spread peanut butter or cream cheese inside each “log” and add raisin “ants.” Decide how many ants you want on each log and turn healthy snacks into a fun counting game.
SPAGHETTI NESTS
Boil some spaghetti, angel hair, or fettuccine pasta. Strain and transfer to a baking dish. Add butter and minced garlic or pesto, and mix. Swirl with tongs into a nest-like circular shape and then bake for a few minutes till firm. Place a few small mozzarella balls in the center to represent bird eggs, and let the kids decide how many bird babies you want to hatch!
SWEET TREAT “SUSHI”
INGREDIENTS: 12 fruit roll-ups, any flavor; 6 tablespoons butter; 6 cups mini marshmallows; 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal and assorted candies (gummies work best, since they cut easily).
Melt butter in a saucepan, then add marshmallows. Place Rice Krispies into a bowl and then stir the melted marshmallow mixture in with the cereal.
Now it’s time to make your “sushi.” Place a fruit roll-up down flat onto a cutting board and spread a thin layer of the Rice Krispies mix overtop. Next, add a few pieces of your favorite gummy candies.
Now, comes the tricky part. Roll the fruit roll-up as if you’re making sushi. To help it all stick together, dip your fingers into some water and dampen the inside of the roll-up. You’ll need a sharp cutting knife to carefully cut the roll into rounds. Help the kids cut the rolls, then wash and put the knife away. The less-pretty end pieces can be eaten right away!
Food should be fun, as well as delicious and nutritious, and these fun ideas have it all. Enjoy the creative process of making edible art, and make the most of being a kid, or just being a kid-at-heart.
Recipe adapted from Two Sisters for The Best Ever Rice Krispies Treat Recipe: https://www.twosisterscrafting.com/best-ever-rice-krispie-treat-recipe/
