I hope you are all having a wonderful 4th of July holiday weekend if you’re in the US. If you’re in the rest of the world, have a wonderful weekend with plenty of good food .

Here are a couple fun foodie links for your weekend browsing.

13 Foods Children Can Make & Learn About Cookbooks has some great ideas for encouraging your children to enjoy cooking.

Fun Watermelon Cupcakes- These would make a really fun summer birthday party treat.

A Healthy Cocktail for the 4th of July Weekend

Mediterranean Potato Salad, a delicious alternative to the mayonnaise version.

Chris’ Original Shrimp or Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers- Jean shares one of her hubby’s original recipes. This one combines some of the latest fat-fighting-food-finds from recent scientific research.

I Can’t Make Vinegar, But I Can Make Ricotta- I’ve never tried to make ricotta cheese, but it sounds interesting.

Cookerati’s giving away Roseda beef, check it out if you’re looking for high quality beef, without chemicals additives or hormones.

Dark Knight hits theatres in a couple weeks, here are some Dark Knight Batman Cake ideas.

Dark Knight Batman Party Ideas

Image via Istockphoto

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Here’s a nifty video on melting chocolate in the microwave. It’s really quite simple. You can melt it in the microwave. Set your microwave for short lengths of time (about 20 seconds), and stir in between. Stir the chocolate, even if it’s retained its shape. Sometimes melted chocolate keeps its shape.

Check out the details.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I was at my son’s book fair a couple months ago, and a cookbook caught my eye. Not something unusual, many cookbooks catch my eye. My husband says it’s an addiction.

The Fairies Cookbook, by Barbera Beery is an adorable book inside and out. If you have a little girl in your life, or you’re planning a fairy theme birthday party this book is perfect. It’s loaded with fun ideas like fairy garden cottages, flower power punch, and unicorn calzones.

Beery also authors another cookbook called the Pink Princess Cookbook. I haven’t checked that one out yet. If it’s anything like the Fairies Cookbook I’m sure it’s adorable too. If you’re planning a princess party it would be worth looking through.

Both books are hardback, and spiral bound. I may have to get the Princess cookbook just to see what’s in there.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Here’s a fun easy recipe for green fruit punch that will work great for a creepy crawly party, a garden party, or as swamp nog for a Shrek birthday party.

Mix one pack of green Kool Aid as directed on the back of the package. Combine it with one liter of 7 Up, and just before serving time scoop in 1 container of green sherbet ice cream. It makes a cool refreshing treat.

To add interest lay gummy worms over the edge of the punch bowl, and on the table around the punch.

You can change the color of the Kool Aid, and the flavor of the ice cream to suit other party themes.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Here is an inexpensive party activity for a preschool aged party. Just purchase a box or two of  ‘O’ shaped cereal such as Fruit Loops, Cheerios, or Apple Jacks. You could also use chewy Lifesavers.  You’ll also need a pack of string licorice.

Let the children string  the cereal onto the licorice strings.

When they’re done making the necklace they can eat it. It’s a fun preschool party activity, favor, and snack all rolled up into one.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Colored sugar can be a simple decoration for cupcakes, cookies or even birthday cakes. Coloring sugar is simple, you don’t have to pay a premium price for sugar sprinkles in the store. You can make them yourself at home.

All you need is sugar and liquid food coloring in your favorite color. For each color of sugar sprinkles you’d like to make have one half a cup of sugar in a bowl or plastic bag. Add a couple drops of food coloring to the sugar and mix or shake until the color is mixed in. If the color is not dark enough add a couple more drops of food color, until you have the desired shade.

Store your colored sugar in an airtight container or plastic bag until you’re ready to use them.

Put them in an old spice shaker and shake the sugar on your cookies or cupcakes. You can also use a stencil to make patterns on your cakes with the sugar. Lay the stencil in the desired spot on your cake or cupcake. Sprinkle the sugar over the mold or stencil. Remove the stencil carefully and you should have the pattern left on your cake.

Colored sugar is so easy your kids can help you make it and make the decorations. It’s great for cookie or cupcake decorating parties.

Tags: sugar sprinkles, making sugar sprinkles, cookie sprinkles, cookie decorating, make your own sugar sprinkles

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Once you start munching on these you won’t be able to stop.
Ingredients:
1 Cup vegetable oil
1 package ranch salad dressing mix
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 packages (10 oz. each) mini-pretzels

Combine oil, dressing mix, garlic salt, and cayenne. Divide pretzels between ungreased 15×10x1 baking pan. Pour oil mixture over pretzels, stir to coat. Bake at 200` for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until golden brown. Stirring occasionally. Cool completely. Store in an air tight container.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Pizza pinwheels are easy to make, and fun to eat. This recipe can be easily doubled, or quadrupled to feed a group of hungry Superbowl fans.

Ingredients:
one tube of crescent rolls
3 Tablespoons of pizza sauce
12 pepperoni
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

Preparation and baking:
Flatten out the crescent rolls on a lightly oiled flat surface. Seal all the seams to make one large piece, and press out with fingers. Spread the pizza sauce thinly on top. Chop the pepperoni, and spread them on the sauce. Top with one cup of the mozzarella cheese. Roll the crescent roll up (like you would a cinnamon roll). Slice the roll into 1″ thick slices. Each roll should make about 8 slices. Lay the cut side down on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the slices, and bake at 375` for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese begins to brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Try a new twist on an old favorite treat, chocolate covered pretzels, for a Valentine’s Day treat. They’re simple to make, and even easier to eat. Your kids will have a blast helping you make them.

Ingredients:

A bag of rod pretzels

1/2 bar (or 6-8 squares) Chocolate Bark (it melts really well in the microwave) Follow the instructions on the bag to melt.

Valentines day sprinkles

Melt the chocolate, let your children help dip the pretzels in the melted chocolate.

I lay the dipped pretzels on wax paper, but you can also prop them up in a cup to dry (if you don’t want them to be flat on one side). Let your children add the sprinkles while the chocolate’s still soft.

Bundle them together for a Valentine’s Day gift, or make a pretzel bouquet for your child’s classroom.

Tags: Valentine’s day treat idea, chocolate dipped pretzel, Valentine’s day, cooking with kids

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I’ve been working on a Superbowl party lens, so here is one of the recipes I posted there. These nachos would be great for any party.

Loaded Nachos

Ingredients
1 bag nacho chips
1 lb of lean ground beef (browned)
1 package taco seasoning
1 large onion finely chopped in a bowl
1 can refried beans
1 16oz package cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1 container sour cream
1 container chunky salsa
2 diced tomatoes in a bowl
Jalapeños, or green Chile peppers
Guacamole

Add the taco seasoning to the ground beef. Mix the cheeses together. Layer the nacho chips, ground beef, refried beans and cheese in a large glass baking dish, repeat the layers until the ingredients are gone. Top with cheese and bake at 300` for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown.

Serve hot with tomatoes, salsa, onions, sour cream, hot peppers, and guacamole as a garnish the guests can add themselves.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!