2 pkgs instant vanilla pudding mix
16 oz. tub Cool Whip whipped topping
2 cups buttermilk
2 cans mandarin oranges
1 pkg Keebler fudge striped Cookies

Mix pudding mix and buttermilk. Add cool whip and oranges. Just before serving, add 1 pkg. crushed cookies. Makes a large salad.


Meatballs

2 lbs. hamburger / 3 cups Special K or Corn Flakes Cereal
1 cup applesauce / 1 tsp salt
2 eggs / pepper / onion, chopped

Mix well and make into meatballs. Put in a 9 x 13 pan. Cover with a sauce of 1 can tomato soup and 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup of water. Cover with tin foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. Uncover for the last 1/2 hour of baking time.


Fruit Pizza

CRUST - 1 cup butter; 2 cups flour; and 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix and press into a jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool.

NEXT LAYER - 16 oz. cream cheese-softened; 2/3 cup sugar; 2 tsp vanilla.

Mix together until smooth. Spread on top of crust.

FRUIT LAYER - 6 cups sliced fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, etc)

Arrange on top of cream cheese layer.

GLAZE - 2 jars of strawberry glaze. (or make your own)

Pour over fruit layer.


Valentine Muffins (or anytime!!)

1 egg / 1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil / 2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar / 1 Tbsp baking powder
thawed strawberries or strawberry preserves

Beat egg, milk, and oil with fork until blended. Mix dry ingredients together. Add to egg mixture and stir until blended. Batter will be lumpy. Spoon into 12 lined muffin cups. Fill 1/3 full. Place a strawberry into each cup and then top with more batter to fill the cup 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.


Cinnamon Apple Cider
4 servings
2 cups 100 % apple juice
1 Tbsp cinnamon red hot candies
1 tsp lemon juice
Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Heat until red hots melt over low heat. Stir often. Let cool a little before serving. 1/2 cup of juice is a fruit/veg. serving for a 3-5 yr old at snack.


Easy Fruit Salad

1 box orange Jello (small size)
1 small carton cottage cheese
2 cans mandarin oranges
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple

Drain fruit. Sprinkle Jello over the fruit and stir. Add cottage cheese. Mix together and chill. Makes 9 (1/2 cup) servings for a 3-5 yr old.


Grandma T.'s Pancakes

The Mix - 12 cups flour / 3/4 cup sugar / 2 Tbsp salt / 4 cups powdered milk / 3/4 cup baking powder. Store in airtight container.

When ready to make pancakes - use 1 1/2 cups of the mix, 1 beaten egg, 2 Tbsp. shortening and 1 cup buttermilk (or water)

Yogurt Popsicles

Needed:

2 cartons plain yogurt

2 6oz. cans frozen orange juice

optional-dash of vanilla and/or honey

Mix well and freeze in plastic cups. Insert sticks when mixture is partially frozen. Enjoy when frozen solid!



Surprise Cupcakes
submitted by Colleen G. of Honey Bear Daycare in SD

1 box white cake mix
Hershey's Kisses (plain, no nuts)
Make cake as directed on box. Fill lined muffin cups about a third full with batter. Drop in an unwrapped kiss and fill the cup so it's about 2/3 of the way full. Bake as directed on the box. Frost when cool if desired.

When the children bite into the cupcake they should find a chocolate surprise in the middle. That is why you want the plain kisses not the almond ones.

Traffic Light Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup softened margarine or butter
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1) Help the children measure out all the ingredients. Then mix together the first 5 ingred.
2) Then stir in the flour, baking soda, and cr. of tartar. Cover and refrigerate at least three hours.
4) Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll of the dough - 1/2 at a time.
5) Help the children cut the dough into 2"x3" rectangles. Place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
6) Using red, yellow and green gumdrops, arrange them on each cookie to resemble traffic lights. (Green is on the bottom in case you forgot!!)
7) Bake for 7-8 minutes until edges are light brown.
Yields 4 dozen cookies.

Christmas Tree Cakes

Bake a yellow(or any flavor) cake according to directions on the box. Bake in a greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. When done, take out of pan carefully and cut it into several triangle shapes resembling trees. Frost with green frosting and decorate as you wish. As a carmel square, "Tootsie roll, or a licorice stick piece as the trunk .

Puppy Chow

Needed:

a 12.3 oz. of Crispix Cereal

a 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips(semi-sweet)

1 cup peanut butter

Melt choc. chips and peanut butter. Pour over cereal in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Put mixture ino a large grocery bag(or individual small bags)with approximatley 2 cups powdered sugar. (about a 1/4 cup if using individual bags) Close the bag and shake away until all the cereal is white.

My Grandma's Chicken Hotdish

This is good for left over thanksgiving turkey also.
3 1/2 cups chicken or turkey(I buy the frozen diced turkey chunks)
8 oz. pkg. egg noodles, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup and 1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup diced cheese
1 cup diced celery
1 diced onion
salt and pepper if desired
1/2 bag frozen mixed veggies

Mix all together in baking dish. Add milk to moisten. (check 1/2 way through if needed for more milk)Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. It didn't say to, but I cover it.

No Syrup Mess

I buy french toast sticks from the local food truck that comes here. The kids love them for breakfast or snack. I used to serve them with a small cup of syrup to dip them into. What a mess!! Now I use the same cup but put applesauce in it instead. Still a little messy, but it's much better for them than syrup.

Gak submitted by Roseanne (not to be eaten - play with it!!!!!)

*1 oz. white glue
*1 tsp. borax (found in the laundry detergent section in the grocery store)
*2 oz. water
*food coloring
*ziploc bag

Add 1 oz. glue in a cup and 4 drops of coloring. Pour into the ziploc bag. Pour 1 oz. of water in it. Close bag so no air gets in it. Mush it together and add 1 tsp. borax. Pour other oz. of water into bag and close it making sure no air gets in. Mush it around until thick.

Banana Pops.submitted by Clara

Peel a banana. Dip it in yogurt, then roll in crushed breakfast cereal, and freeze.

Fruit Shake-Ups submitted by Clara

Put 1/2 cup lowfat fruit yogurt and 1/2 cup cold fruit juice in a non-breakable, covered container. Make sure the lid is tight. Then shake it up, and pour into a cup.

Pudding Shakes.submitted by Clara

Use the same technique for making fruit shake-ups, but instead mix 1/2 cup cold milk with 3 tablespoons of instant pudding.

Sandwich Cut-Outs. submitted by Clara

Using cookie cutters with fun shapes, like dinosaurs, stars, and hearts, cut slices of cheese, meat, and whole-grain bread. Then put them together to make fun sandwiches. Eat the edges, too.

Peanut Butter Balls. submitted by Clara

Mix peanut butter and bran or corn flakes in a bowl. Shape them into balls with clean hands. Then roll them in crushed graham crackers.

Ice Cream-Wiches.submitted by Clara

Put a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt between two oatmeal cookies or frozen waffles. Make a batch of these sandwiches ahead, and freeze them.

Ants on a Log.submitted by Clara

Fill celery with peanut butter or cream cheese. Arrange raisins along the top.

Chewy Barssubmitted by Norma

1 pkg. Jiffy yellow cake mix
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. margarine, fat-free/regular/Smuckers Baking Healthy
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. flour

In small bowl, blend all ingredients well. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Homemade Ham and Cheese Pockets

Needed: tube of Pillsbury Cresent Roll dough
8 cheese slices
Ham diced or cut into thin strips
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

Unroll the cresent dough and separate into 2 squares. (leaving 4 triangles together on each square) Seal the seams if necessary to prevent cheese from melting out. Lay 4 slices of cheese onto one of the squares. Sprinkle the ham over top of the cheese and then another layer of 4 cheese slices. Carefully lay the other dough square on top of it. Press the edges all together. Sprinkle with a little shredded cheddar cheese. (optional) Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Longer if needed. Use a pizza cutter to cut into 9 squares. Yummy!!!

Dirt Cups submitted by Lori

1 pkg oreo cookies or chocolate graham crackers, 2 pkgs instant chocolate pudding, 2 1/2 cups milk, 1 - 12 oz cool whip and 1 pkg of gummi worms

Put cookies or graham crackers in large ziplock bag and crush to make look like dirt (the kids are a BIG help with this part! Mix the pudding pkgs and milk until thick, fold in cool whip, stir in 1/2 of the cookie crumbs into the pudding mixture. Put a gummi worm on the bottom of a paper cup and cover with the pudding mixture. Top with more cookie crumbs and another worm. ENJOY!

For a beach theme..... We have also made the same recipe but then put it all in a beach pail (brand new one, of course) and served it with a shovel. For a garden theme......You can also use a new flower pot and place a plastic flower in it and serve it with a garden shovel. The kids just LOVE it!

Crock Pot Chicken Soup
Slice some carrots, celery, a small onion, and other veggies if you'd like into 5 cups of water in a crock pot. Salt and pepper as desired. Cook on low for 4-4 1/2 hours. The last half hour, add two packages of Roasted Chicken Ramen Noodles and the seasonings included in the package. Heat till noodles are ready and serve. Can add more water to make it more liquidy? (is that a word?) but my kids liked it as is and no one had any leftovers to drink (or spill!!!)

Applesauce Jello from Bobbi
Make jello (blueberry or raspberry) and instead of using the cold water I substitute with applesauce. It's quite hearty. I put a dollop of whip cream on top. The kids love it. (she didn't think it would count on the food program as a fruit, but it's a great, delicious extra)