party

Cooking with Kids: Circus Snack Mix

 

Homemade snack mix is a great "kids in the kitchen" recipe for toddlers and preschoolers. It allows them to practice measuring, scooping, pouring and stirring with minimal mess, danger, or risk of a big mess in the kitchen. It also allows kids to practice making choices, as they are able to customize the ingredients in their snack mix. As an added bonus, there is no need to wait for it to cook or cool before you can enjoy it.

 

This Circus Snack Mix is perfect for a birthday party, road trip, or any other time of year. We used animal crackers, popcorn, and dried cranberries, but feel free to change the ingredients to suit the tastes of your little chefs.

 

 

Ingredients To Choose From:


  • Animal cracker cookies (the circus animals)
  • Popped popcorn (a must have treat at the circus)
  • Dried cranberries (clown noses)
  • Shelled peanuts (apparently elephants love them. Omit or replace with soy nuts etc if your family has allergy concerns)
  • Bugles (clown hats)
  • Whole grain "O" shaped cereal (hoops for lions and tigers to jump through)
  • Pretzel sticks (wands for magicians, and batons for the ringmasters)

 

Method:

 

1. Pour each ingredient into a separate large bowl, and set out measuring cups or large spoons for kids to scoop with.

 

2. Provide each chiild with a smaller bowl.  Kids can measure, scoop, and pour their selected ingredients into their bowls, and then use spoons to stir the mixture up.

 

3. Eat and enjoy!

 

 

NOTE: You can also make one arge batch of snack mix instead of making individual bowls.

Posted by momstown team on 06/22/2012 - 22:12
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St Patrick's Day Party Food

rainbow fruit platter

 

St Patrick's Day is on Saturday this year which gives us all an opportunity to throw a little party and perhaps drink a few Irish beverages and sing some Irish songs. Which means - you need inspired food! 

 

Irish Rainbow themed:

Rainbow Fruit Platter

Multi-coloured Pancakes

Rainbow Cake

 

rainbow pancakes

 

Hearty Irish meals:

Guinness Stew

Irish Soda Bread

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Turnips

Grandma's Salmon Loaf

 

stew

 

Some Irish Flair:

Irish Cream Bundt Cake

Green Avocado Guacamole

Green Broccoli Casserole

 

bundt cake

 

Have a terrific St Patrick's Day! If you need craft or decoration ideas visit the momstown arts and crafts site for our 20 St Patrick's Day activities!

Posted by momstown mama on 03/07/2012 - 00:50
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Top 5 Halloween Party Snacks

Ok, I’ll admit Halloween makes me break all the sugar rules in our house, the treats are more frequent and way more fun. I’m planning a Halloween party for my daughter’s friends and have been scoping out terrific food ideas for the party. I was leaning towards a mini pizza party but with such a great theme as Halloween, why not bring on the pumpkins, ghosts & goblins on our plates too!

 

Check out our Top 5 Halloween party snacks

jello halloweenJello Jigglers are super fun to eat and EASY to make for a party. Pick up some spooky themed cookie cutters and have fun making these with your child before the party starts.

 

 

 

hootin fudgeHooting Halloween fudge:
I tried this delicious fudge at the recent Blissdom Canada conference in Kraft’s Spooktacular Halloween room and it is certainly both adult and kid friendly. Kids will have fun helping you mix and  create this colourful fudge.

 

 

rice krispies catRice Krispies Black Cat is cute and yummy!

Kellogg’s has loads of ideas and this idea is simple enough for very young kids to do on their own. For a party you can prep the round base in advance. If you added a lollypop stick they could be great decorations like the Easter flowers we made in the spring.

 

candy applesCandy Apples are healthy and crunchy!


With all the apple picking we’ve been doing this fall, Candy Apples make sense. Our momstown moms have been making these in huge batches together!

 

 

halloween cupcakePumpkin Cupcakes
I served these last year at a playdate and the kids decorated them as they wished – sure, they loaded candy all over the top, but at least there was some pumpkin tucked into the batter!

 

 

 

Worried about all the sugar this season? We do have suggestions on how to avoid the sugar rush and the Halloween Hangover.

Posted by momstown mama on 10/16/2011 - 11:04
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Birthday Party Food for Toddlers

toddler birthday party

The birthday party!  The first birthday party you host can be a little nerve wracking in many departments but especially one celebrating a first or second birthday – why? The food adds confusion to an already chaotic atmostphere and sticky messy kids, well, they’re sticky, messy and hyper!


Merge Sugar & Healthy
There’s gotta be a cake but make sure to provide some healthy options too. Pizza is far too common at birthday parties (even for the young ones) so step it up and provide choices to parents with a buffet of things to choose for their own kids. Parents can pick from the buffet for themselves to avoid providing another meal for adults. All things can be prepped in advance so all you need to do is pull it out and eat.

w is for watermelon


Toddler Birthday Buffet Ideas
•    Fruit kabobs or fruit salad
•    Birthday muffins like Banana muffins with cream cheese icing
•    Bite size veggies stuck with fancy toothpicks for dipping
•    Variety of kid friendly dips for those veggies
•    Cheese cubes
•    Finger friendly fruit – grapes (sliced!), berries, melon balls and apple slices
•    Use a cookie cutter for fun shaped fruit or cheese (find a shape that fits your theme!)
•    Mini Sandwiches – cheese, cucumber, ham  cut into fingers, squares or shapes
•    Spinach & Cheese Squares (great for a morning snack)
•    Variety of drinks (remember these kids spill, avoid grape juice!)
•    Party Meatballs (pop into slow cooker & pull out to eat)


A few other tips to help navigate the food at a Toddler Birthday Party


Skip direct meal times
Plan your party around snacktime and you can skip the lunch chaos plus still make afternoon naptime.   Young toddlers are best in the morning, so plan a party when your birthday child is fresh and host it between 10-11:30. Alternatively, hit the 3-4:30 timeslot for the same reasons.
Toddlers won’t want to sit for too long either – which is perfect for a snack session.  


Toddler Friendly Eating Space
You’re used to one kid in a high chair, now you have a dozen of them in your home…. Where to contain the crumbs?? Have preschool sized chairs and tables set up (neighbours will lend you extras if you need) or ask guests to bring a booster seat to set up at your regular table.


Check for Allergielauren birthdays
When parents RSVP, double check about allergies and the severity. Often the parent will cater to their own child if an allergy or intolerance is severe (like bring their own gluten-free cupcake) but you should have alternatives on hand.


Forget about the Parents
The stress of planning both an adult and toddler parties with different food choices can drive mom crazy making over-complicated food. The point is to enjoy your child’s party, NOT to deal with serving a bunch of adults. Make it easy by prepping similar (or the same!) food for kids and adults and remind your adult friends it’s a KIDS party and offer your condolences with an adult beverage.

 

Other than the cake, kids don't care

That's a key lesson to remember. Kids love the theme and fun behind a party but will never remember the food. Even fancy cakes are less impressive to little ones than their own cupcakes. Focus on simple, healthy and variety and you'll have happy little guests!!

Posted by momstown mama on 08/01/2011 - 22:19
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Tea Party recipes: scones and sweets

teapot competition

Who doesn’t love a good tea party or fancy tray of sweets?

 

Our momstown mama members got spoiled with super Tea parties for Mother’s Day, momstown Milton held a Princess Tea Party, momstown Burlington held an outdoor “garden party” for moms and kids and TeaFrog and Springridge Farm, and momstown Guelph partnered with David’s tea for a great mom and child tea party.

 

A typical High tea has a three layered tray: first scones with cream and jam, second tea sandwiches and top tier are dainty sweets. If you’re looking for cute and delicious tea sandwiches to fancy-up your next playgroup or shower, momstown pulled some our favourites together. Now, it’s time for the sweets and scones! Do  you know the main difference between a scone (sweet) and a tea biscuit?

 

Scones with clotted cream and jam are such a British standard for any tea party. While many moms bake muffins regularly, we haven’t tried scones .They’re pretty easy actually and can be done as quickly as you toss together a muffin recipe. Our momstown Burlington moms were inspired and headed to Tea at the Whitehouse to learn about scone making recipes (and eat a few!).

 

english scones

 

Basic English Scone recipe from Great Party Recipes

Typical English scones are light and flaky but not sweet. They are perfectly designed to accompany cream and jam.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (approx.)
Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the egg.
Gradually add the milk until a thick dough is formed.
Turn out the mixture onto a floured board and knead lightly. Roll out the dough to 3/4" thickness and cut into rounds with a 2" cookie cutter. You can reroll any of the scrap dough.

Place the rounds about 1" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little beaten egg or milk. Bake in a preheated 450° oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm (ideally with clotted cream and jam, or enjoy with butter).

Other Scone Recipes

Cranberry Oatmeal Scones
Chocolate Chip Scones
Cream Scones
 

 

Sweets for the Sweet course of the Tea Party


Orange Chocolate Shortbread 
Coconut Balls
Forgotten Meringues
Butter Tart Squares

 

Now, go make a cup of tea and enjoy these delicious goodies!

Posted by momstown mama on 05/13/2011 - 21:58
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Chicken Wing Dip

Chicken Wing Dip - this one is always a big hit at any party!


1 pkg cream cheese (at room temp)
2 - 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
2 cooked chicken breasts (cooled and cut into cubes)

 

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in oval or round dish (glass or porcelain) for 30 minutes at 350.
Serve with tortilla chips or bread rounds.

 

**  We had two moms share this recipe so here's a variation of the above from another momstown Burlington mom: Mine is a tad different: I chop 1 or 2 celery stalks and sautee in franks red hot sauce. Melt the cream cheese and then the cheddar over the stove and then add blue cheese dressing ( instead of ranch). I find over the stove takes less time. This is our fav dip. We used to make it almost every weekend-just for me and my hubby and would eat it all. So addicting. Huge Hit!!!

Posted by momstown mama on 02/03/2011 - 10:42
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Garlic Pot Dip

Such a delicious dip!! Not diet friendly but so yummy and a perfect party dip!

 

1 cup grated asiago cheese
1 cup mayo
1 cup chopped artichoke hearts (I buy the ones in the waterpacked jar)
4-6 cloves of crushed garlic

 

Mix well.  Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  Can serve in a hallowed pumpernickle loaf (I find that overdone - I usually put in a dish with raw veggies, couple types of bread and those "scoops").  I usually double for a large crowd

 

Shared by a momstown Burlington mom

Posted by momstown mama on 02/03/2011 - 10:37
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California Guacamole

Looking for a fab dip for a party (maybe a Superbowl Party??) - this recipe comes highly recommended from one of our momstown Burlington members!

 

I make the absolute BEST guacamole recipe of ALL TIME. Swear to gawd, every single person I've ever served it to has melted!

Ingredients
•    3  medium, fully ripe avocados
•    1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
•    1/3 cup freshly chopped cilantro
•    1 medium shallot, minced
•    1 tablespoon garlic (see separate recipe)
•    1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
•    1 teaspoon salt


1. Halve one avocado, remove pit and scoop flesh into medium bowl. Repeat with remaining avocados. Pour lime juice over avocado flesh.

 

2. Using a fork or potato masher, mash lightly until mixture is still a little chunky. Stir in cilantro, shallot, roasted garlic, jalapeno and salt.

 

3. Serve with tortilla chips. (Guacamole can be made ahead and covered with plastic wrap and kept refrigerated for up to 8 hours. Return to room temperature before serving.)

Note: Makes about 2 cups, serves 4 to 6

 

Recipe from Wolfgang Puck but shared by a momstown Burlington mom.

Posted by momstown mama on 02/02/2011 - 21:53
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Easy Party Meatball Appetiser

Easy Peasy Party Meatballs


I have recently discovered that my meatballs are my WOW recipe! Super easy and very tasty! Nothing not to love!

•    1 box frozen meatballs1
•    jar of ketchup
•    1 jar of grape jelly

Cook in the crock pot for the day while you're prepping for the party and your set! Serve with toothpicks and your guests will love them!

 

Shared by a momstown Burlington mom

Posted by momstown mama on 02/02/2011 - 21:45
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Vegetarian Chili with Butternut Squash, Black Beans and Peppers

This is a standard chili at my house and perfect for Superbowl Sunday – especially if you are hosting any vegetarians. I cut this recipe out of a Chatelaine magazine ages ago and the recipe is worn out (yay for the online version!).

My kids love this as well and gobble up the squash and beans. I do decrease the chili powder and omit the chili flakes to make it easier for the kiddos. Make a big batch because it freezes really well (many of my momstown friends have gotten this recipe as a dinner post-baby!) and delicious too!

•    6 garlic cloves or 1 tbsp (15 mL) bottled minced garlic
•    3 onions
•    Olive oil
•    1 small butternut squash or about 4 cups (1 L) squash pieces
•    2 (28-oz/796-mL) cans diced tomatoes
•    14 oz (389 mL) can tomato sauce
•    1/4 cup (50 mL) chili powder
•    1 tbsp (15 mL) each ground coriander and cumin
•    1 to 2 tsp (5 to 10 mL) hot red chili flakes (optional)
•    1 tsp (5 mL) each ground cinnamon, allspice and salt
•    3 peppers, preferably a mix of colours
•    12 oz (341 mL) can corn niblets or 2 cups (500 mL) frozen corn
•    19 oz (540 mL) can black beans

 

1.    Coarsely chop garlic and onions. Lightly coat a large wide saucepan with oil and set over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Stir occasionally until onions start to soften, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, for easier squash peeling, microwave whole squash on high, 2 to 3 minutes. Then cut squash in half. Slice off peel. Scoop out and discard seeds. Cut squash into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces.

 

2.    Add squash, tomatoes and tomato sauce to softened onions. Sprinkle with chili powder, coriander, cumin, chili flakes, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, core and seed peppers. Cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces. Stir into chili. Reduce heat to medium-low.

 

3.    Cover and simmer, stirring often, until squash is fork-tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Meanwhile, drain corn and beans, then rinse and drain again. Once squash is tender, stir into chili. Simmer until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

Posted by momstown mama on 02/02/2011 - 21:40
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