Loving your children

Teach Joy to Your Children!!

Precious Father, Help me to share the ‘Joy of Loving You’ with my children each day.  Remind me to always add sprinkles!!

“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.” Proverbs 15:30

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  Proverbs 17:22

Menu

“Hot Wheels” Swirls

“Strawberry Shortcake” Lemonade

Little Piggy Pot Pies

Festive Rainbow Fruit Skewers

Slinky the Snake Cake

Cooking Mentors:  Frances Carr and Dianne Corwin

“Hot Wheels” Swirls

Several spinach or sun-dried tomato tortilla

Cream Cheese spread (chive and onion or vegetable garden or your favorite kind)

A few carrots or any veggies you want to use

Spread tortillas with cream cheese spread.  Put  carrots in food processer and chop fine.  Spread carrots on cream cheese mixture.  Roll tortilla up and slice into thin slices to make swirls.  Serve on a platter.  You can put frilly toothpicks in them for a festive look.

Note:  You can also add thin slices of sandwich meat if you like

“Strawberry Shortcake” Lemonade

1 gallon Publix lemonade or frozen lemonade, made according to directions

1-2 pkg frozen strawberries, thawed

2-3 Fresh strawberries, sliced (optional)

Lemon slices (optional)

Puree strawberries in food processor and add to lemonade.  You can strain the strawberries if you do not want the seeds in the lemonade.  Chill. Add fresh strawberry slices or lemon slices before serving.  Serve.

Little Piggy Pies

Makes about 8

1 large onion, chopped finely (optional)

1/3 cup water

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 ½-2 cups frozen Southern style hash brown potatoes, partially thawed (we like Ora Ida brand)

2 cans (10 ¾ oz each) reduced-fat condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (a rotisserie chicken can be used)

2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2/3 additional cups of water

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning or ground sage

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 packages (16 biscuits total) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1.    Preheat oven to temperature on biscuit package (usually 350-400 degrees).

2.     Remove 16 green peas from frozen mixed vegetables; set aside.  Put onions in saucepan with 1/3 cup water and sauté for a few minutes on medium to allow onions to get tender. Add  remaining vegetables, potatoes, soup, chicken, yogurt, water, thyme, poultry seasoning and garlic powder in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Cover; keep warm.

3.    Press 8 biscuits into 3-inch circles.  Cut each remaining biscuit into eight wedges.  Place two wedges on top of each circle; fold points down to form ears.  Roll one wedge into small ball; place in center of each circle to form pig’s snout.  Use tip of a spoon handle to make indents in snout for nostrils.  Place 2 reserved green peas on each circle for eyes.

4.    Spoon hot chicken mixture into 8 (10 ounce) custard cups or small pie pans.  Place one biscuit “pig” on top of each.  Place remaining biscuit wedges around each “pig” on top of chicken mixture, twisting one wedge “tail” for each pie. Bake according to biscuits’ package directions until biscuits are golden (approximately 10-20 minutes).

Festive Rainbow Fruit Skewers

Makes 12 skewers

Blueberries

1 large orange, peeled

Green Grapes or kiwi, peeled

1 cup pineapple chunks

chocolate dipped strawberries, recipe follows

Cut the kiwi and orange crosswise into 4 rounds, then cut each round into 3 pieces, so you end up with 12 pieces of each fruit. To prepare the skewers, put 2 blueberries about 1/3 of the way down the skewer, add a pineapple chunk, 2 grapes or piece of kiwi, a piece of orange, and top with a chocolate dipped strawberry.

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries:

2 1/2 ounces dark chocolate

1 pound strawberries, washed and trimmed

Line a tray with waxed paper. Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place about two thirds of it into the bowl of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir occasionally, very gently, until the chocolate has melted, about 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the double boiler and add the rest of the chocolate, stirring gently until it has melted. Dip the strawberries in the chocolate, place on the waxed paper and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes until chocolate is set.

Note:  You can use chocolate chips or dipping chocolate.  You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave on Medium (50% power), stirring every 20 seconds, until melted.  Be careful not to burn it. Or follow microwave directions on chocolate package.

Slinky the Snake Cake

Makes 32-36 servings

2 (10-inch) bundt cakes

1(40x20-inch cake board covered) or tape 2 smaller boards together

2 containers (16 ounces each) white frosting

Green and yellow food coloring

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Red fruit roll-up

Assorted candies

1.    Cut each bundt cake crosswise in half.  Position each half end to end to form one long snake shape as show in photo.  Place on prepared cake board, attaching pieces with small amount of frosting.

2.    Tint frosting lime green.  Frost entire length of cake with green frosting, spreading about halfway down sides of cake.

3.    Place chocolate chips in small resealable food storage bag.  Microwave on Medium(50%power) for 20 seconds.  Knead bag several times, then microwave 20 seconds more until chocolate is melted.  Cut tip off one corner of bag; pipe diamond pattern on back of snake as shown in photo.

4.    Cut out tongue and other decorations from fruit roll-up.  Decorate face and back of snake with assorted candies.