This Post Is For The...Kids!

Most of you know that I have kids...a lot of kids...a herd of kids.  Most of my day isn't consumed with beautiful food and cookbooks.  It is consumed with caring for these beautiful cherubs that I have been blessed with. (or demons depending on the day - haha)  This post is (mostly) for the kiddos or kids-at-heart in your life.

Most kids love play-doh...mine included.  However, with my kids being so close in age it is VERY difficult to make sure large quantities are not being eaten during a 30 minute "doh" extravaganza.  Ew.  Have you ever tasted play-doh?  Of course I have...and paste, and crayons, and paper...yeah I was "that kid" in school.  I don't even want to THINK about what is actually lurking in a ball of play-doh - chemicals, hair, fuzz - you get the picture.

To make our "doh"-fest more pleasant I decided to try out a recipe that I found online.  I altered it slightly to fit our needs.  It is super-simple and actually tastes good too!  It was a great activity to do together - even my youngest could join in on the fun!

Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough

1 cup powdered soy milk

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

Mix and shape.  Use nuts and dried fruit for decoration.

Here are some action shots:

 An artist at work.

 Of course we had to sample our masterpiece.

 Squish!

Ta-da! 

Our delicious decorations.

Something else fun for the kiddos (and tired moms)?  Quick and easy lunches packed full of good stuff and topped with "cheese."  Shhh...they will never even know how good it is for them!  They even liked the name of this dish. It made them giggle when they said it.  I think Rachel Ray has a dish called this? Oh well...I'm claiming it!  And who doesn't love giggling kids?  Sure beats crying kids any day! :-)

Easy PEAS-y Cheezy Rice

Brown Rice (I used some leftover rice I had in the fridge - about 2-3 cups)

Peas (you can use canned or frozen - about 1 1/2-2 cups)

We Can't Say It's Cheese! - about 1/2-3/4 a tub of the Cheddar-style Dip

Mix together, and heat.  Serve to a hungry pack of kids alongside sliced apples or some grapes and smile. :-)  This dish gives you a great boost of whole grains with the brown rice and whole grain oatmeal (in the cheese sauce)!  Plus you sneak in a green veggie! Hooray!