Shark Snack Attack

The kids saw this and wanted to try and make it so we attempted it.

It turned out pretty good

What I used..:
- 1 Watermelon (try to find one with more of an oval shape if you can)
- Blue Jell-O (2 large, 8-serving pkgs)
- Fish-Shaped Candies
- Blueberries (x2 for the eyes)
- Toothpicks (3 or 4)

Other Supplies I used, though all optional:
- Tray (I used a pizza pan)
- Foil
- Saran Wrap
- Blue & Green Markers
- Melon Ball Tool

Directions:
1) Prepare Your Ocean Water
I followed the recipe for Jell-O Jigglers, found HERE, ahead of time. I thought that having blue, Jell-O Jigglers would not only make a fun snack, but looks much more like water than the watermelon used in the original photo. Don't you think?

2) Prepare Your Tray
I covered a pizza pan with aluminum foil and had my children color the foil with blue and green markers. We then covered the colored foil tray with Saran Wrap so that the color would be protected. Remember that your shark will cover a good portion of your tray, so you don't have to completely color it.


3) Cut the Watermelon
Wait... first, let me recommend you wash your watermelon.
Now, lay your watermelon on it's side and decide which end would make a better shark head Slice off the other end at a slight angle (not too much).

Next, rest your watermelon on it's cut side, and decided where you would like the shark mouth. Make sure here that you are adding about an inch or so for the teeth you will be cutting out of the rind. Here, (Make sure to save your wedge for the shark fin!)

Next, with a small knife, carefully score around your shark mouth, only about 2-3 millimeters deep. This will help you to peal off the rind down to your cut so you can begin to form the teeth.

Again, with a small knife, carefully cut away the green rind down to your score lines around the mouth.

4) Remove the Good Stuff
... and SET IT ASIDE! We'll be using that in a bit.
I chose to use a melon baller here, but you may choose to take a knife and cut away all of the watermelon.

5) Cut the Teeth
But before you do that... I rinsed my shark once to get all the sticky off, and set it on some paper towels to help absorb the extra moisture.

6) Add Gills & Eyes
I used a small knife to cut into the rind (careful not to cut all the way through) to make an eye and the lines for the gills behind the mouth.

I broke a toothpick in half and used that to attach a blueberry to the center of each eye.

7) Add a Fin
Take the wedge you cut to form the shark mouth to make your fin. Below you will see how I cut my wedge to get a nice triangle fin.



Then I removed the watermelon from the other side. I placed the fin up to the shark and realized I needed to cut a bit of a curve on the bottom side to have it fit nicely. You may need to do the same.

To attach the fin, I placed a couple of toothpicks into the shark and pushed the fin into place.

8) Finishing Your Shark Attack Snack

Transfer your shark to your tray, if you haven't already.
Fill your shark mouth with your reserved watermelon chunks or melon balls.


Next, cut your Jell-O Jigglers into bit-sized pieces, and arrange them around your shark on the tray.

Finish it off by adding some candy fish to the shark's mouth and the ocean water around him. I didn't do this, but thought some whip cream would even be a fun touch. Messy, but fun. :)




And here's your finished snack.

Snkckers-Stuffed Snickerdoodles

I wasn't expecting these to be so good. Chocolate in snicker doodles? Who does that? Would they taste good? Would the candy explode? Could I call them Snickers doodles? Is this why my pants don't fit? So many Questions.

They were amazing, the chocolate the Carmel, the peanuts. What a winning combination. You can not go wrong with these. Note to self double the batch next time.

What you need....
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 large eggs
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fun size or mini Snickers bars (I used mini Snickers, next time I would use fun size)
1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon for rolling cookies in


Preheat oven to 375°F.


Beat together butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Slowly beat flour mixture into the butter mixture.


In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon. Scoop out about a tablespoon of dough. Press mini Snickers bar into the center, then cover with another heaping tablespoon of dough. Form into a ball, pressing down the edges to cover the chocolate completely. Roll in cinnamon-sugar and place on a greased baking sheet, 3-4 inches apart. Use a flat-bottomed glass dipped in cinnamon sugar to flatten slightly.


Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned.


Makes about 2 1/2 dozen big cookies, depending on whether you use mini or fun size Snickers bars.


Source: Slightly adapted from Sunset, 1998.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

1 box of your favorite brownie mix

1C flour

3 eggs

1/3C Veggie oil

3/4C powder sugar

Preheat oven 350'

Mix brownie mix, flour, eggs and oil in mixer until blended.

Place powder sugar in separate bowl.

For each cookie, scoop 1 rounded tabs dough and place in powdered sugar.

Roll dough gently into balls, coating thoroughly with powdered sugar.

Place on cookie sheets bake 11-13min

So quick and easy they were all gone with in minutes.

Graham Cracker S'mores Candy.

It's summertime!

And you know what that means.

LETS MAKE S'MORES!!!

As soon as I read this recipe I had to make them. I always have s'more kit on hand at all times. sun, rain or snow. I am prepared.

Let's melt butter and brown sugar and pour that creamy, caramel deliciousness over a layer of crunchy graham crackers.

And then bake it.

Until it's almost worth burning your fingertips to shove a bubbling caramel sauce-drenched graham cracker into your face.

Side note:

"Stir continuously" does not mean "leave your wooden spoon in the saucepan and stop stirring long enough to take and find your camera, find your memory card, and take a picture of melting butter and sugar, simply because it looks so good you want to rub it on your face." Who does that? Oh ME

Anyway.

Since we've already established that bikinis are stupid, let's throw fistfuls of broken Hershey bars and chocolate chips and marshmallows over the top and bake it s'more.

mmmmmmmm........HEAVEN,

Here is the actual recipe

12 sheets of graham crackers
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups mini marshmallows
4 Hershey bars, broken into pieces
1 cup milk chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang over the ends, and spray foil with cooking spray. Line graham crackers up on the foil so that the sides are touching.


In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and mixture comes just to a boil (about 4-6 minutes). Remove from heat and pour evenly over crackers. Bake 5 to 6 minutes, or until bubbly.
Remove pan from oven and immediately sprinkle mini marshmallows, chocolate bar pieces, and chocolate chips over the crackers.


Return pan to oven for another 2-3 minutes, or until marshmallows begin to soften and puff up.


Cool completely. Lift from pan using foil edges; cut into bars and enjoy!

Thank you to Stephnie for the great idea :-)

Here's To You Dad.

The kids made these cute soda bottles for Dad. I drew out the ti's and they colored them, you could also draw out shirts and hats ext..... but they liked the ti's.

Happy Fathers Day!

KooL-Aid Slurpees

All you need is:

1 packet of Kool-Aid
2 cups of club soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups crushed ice
and, of course, a blender

This is super easy and so yummy

Step 1 ~ Blend Kool-Aid, sugar, and 1 cup of the club soda on high until the sugar is dissolved.


Step 2 ~ Add the ice and blend until the mixture is smooth.


Step 3 ~ Add remaining cup of club soda and blend away...


Step 4 ~ Pour mixture into glasses and put in freezer for 30 minutes.


Step 5 ~ Yell at your kids to stop opening the freezer to see if they are done yet!!!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I found this yummy recipe and had to try it out. It was so good the family loved it. It takes a little time to make but it is so worth it.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon honey

*If you are in a hurry I also used a pancake mix that you just add water but I added half water then buttermilk and some honey. And it turned out just as good.

Cinnamon swirl:

2 tablespoons melted butter (Instead of butter we used a little milk to thin it out)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour

*I tripled the swirl recipe for my family of 5 and when I ran out I added Cinnamon/sugar to the rest of the batter and had a swirl cake with a cinnamon cake on the kids plate.

1. Mix all the ingredients together to make the pancakes and set aside. Preheat your pan or skillet and lightly grease it.

2. Make the Cinnamon Swirl mixture and place it into a a small bottle with a squirt nozzle (the name is escaping me…I used one)or a small baggie with a snip in the corner.

3. Spread your batter into small pancakes on the griddle. Immediately add the cinnamon swirls.

4. Cook the pancakes until small bubbles form on the topside of the pancake and do not fill back in with batter.

5. Flip over the pancakes with a turner and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.

Buttermilk Syrup (Taste like icing)

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

*The kids loved this syrup

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, and buttermilk. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Stir, and the mixture will become thick and bubbly.