kids 2

1--Strawberry Smoothie
You'll Need:
* 2 ice cubes
* 1 c. milk
* 1/3 c. cottage cheese
* 2/3 c. frozen strawberries
* 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Utensils:

* blender (You'll need help from your adult assistant.)
* serving glass
* measuring cups and spoons
Procedure:

1. Pour all of the ingredients into the blender. 2. Put the lid on the blender and blend for 45 to 60 seconds until smooth. 3. Pour your smoothie into a glass and enjoy.

2--Super Strawberry Bars
You'll Need:
* 1 c. flour
* 1 c. rolled oats
* 1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
* 1/3 c. light brown sugar
* 1/4 tsp. baking powder
* 1/8 tsp. salt
* 3/4 c. strawberry jam

Utensils:

* oven (You'll need help from your adult assistant.)
* large bowl
* square (8" X 8") pan coated with nonstick spray
* large spoon
* knife
* measuring cups and spoons
Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). 2. In a large bowl, mix everything together except the strawberry jam. 3. Measure out 2 cups of this mixture. Leave the rest in the bowl, and set it aside. 4. Take the 2 cups of the mixture and press it into the bottom of the pan. You can use your hands or a spoon. Make sure you cover the entire bottom of the pan! 5. Using a large spoon, spread the strawberry jam on top of the mixture in the pan. Spread it evenly all over. 6. Take the mixture that was left in the bowl, and spread it over the strawberry jam. Press it down lightly. 7. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes. 8. Cut the bars into 12 squares to eat and share!

3--Homemade Peanut Butter
You'll Need:
* 1 1/2 c. unsalted roasted peanuts
* 1 tbsp. peanut oil

Utensils:

* food processor (You'll need help from your adult assistant.)
* bowl
* mixing spoon
* storage container
* measuring cups and spoons
Procedure:

1. Mix the peanuts with the peanut oil, and pour the mixture into the food processor. 2. Process the mixture until it's very smooth. 3. Store your smooth peanut butter in a sealed container in the fridge. It will be good for 2 weeks. For chunky peanut butter: 1. Take about 1/4 cup out of your 1 1/2 cups of peanuts and set them aside. 2. Mix the rest of the peanuts with the oil, and pour the mixture into the food processor. 3. Process the mixture until it's very smooth, then stir in the peanuts that you had set aside. 4. Process a few seconds more to create the chunks in your chunky peanut butter. 5. Store your chunky peanut butter in a sealed container in the fridge. It will be good for 2 weeks.

4--Hot Dog Clowns
You'll Need:
hot dogs
ketchup
mustard
Procedure:

After cooking your hotdogs, cut them into bite-size pieces and arrange at the top of a plate to make the clowns "hair". Then using catsup and mustard (whatever your child will eat) "draw" eyes, a nose, and a mouth. My daughter will even add eyebrows. Then the child simply dips the hotdog in the catsup or mustard to eat. This is so simple, but the first time I did it for the kids, they got such a kick out of it that they requested their hotdogs like this all the time.

5--Edible Garden
You'll Need:
a pound cake or other loaf-shaped cake (homemade or store-bought)
chocolate frosting
ladyfingers
chocolate wafer cookies
sugar
gumdrops
green toothpicks.
Procedure:

PREPARE THE FLOWER BED: Ice the top and sides of the pound cake with chocolate frosting. Then trim the top of each ladyfinger into a point to resemble a fence picket. Gently press the pickets against the frosted sides of the loaf cake. Seal a handful of chocolate wafer cookies in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Sprinkle the crumb "soil" on top of the loaf cake. PLANT A ROW OF TULIPS: Sprinkle sugar onto waxed paper. Roll the gumdrops to a 1/4-inch thickness using a rolling pin on the waxed paper surface. With kitchen scissors, cut notches in the tops of the flattened gumdrops to create tulip shapes. Insert a toothpick stem into the base of each blossom. Make a pair of leaves for each tulip by trimming flattened green gumdrops into teardrop shapes. Spear the base of each leaf with the toothpick stem and push it halfway up the stem. Now plant the tulips in the cake. For a fun finishing touch, sprinkle coconut tinted with green food coloring around the garden to resemble grass.