Vickie - Our Favorite Kid-Approved Recipes

6 c. watermelon, cubed and seeded

1/2 c. raspberries

1 c. water

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. lemon juice

Combine watermelon, raspberries and water in a blender. Ask an adult to help out. Blend until smooth. Pour through a strainer into pitcher. Push liquid through with a rubber spatula when draining slows down. Stir sugar and lemon juice into strained mixture until sugar dissolves. Chill about 30 minutes or serve over ice.

Dear Friend,

Whether youve got budding chefs at home, or just hope to get your kids more involved at mealtime, Our Favorite Kid-Approved Recipesis here to help.

Youll find over 60 kid-friendly recipes just perfect for beginning cooks. From simple (but delicious!) Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Baked French Fries to Pepperoni Pizza Breadsticks and Banana-Berry Smoothies, these recipes are sure to bring kids to the kitchen. There are after-school snacks, Saturday-morning breakfasts and even tasty dinners!

When kids help at mealtime, their appetites are even better. Let them pick whats for dinner tonight!

Have fun in the kitchen!

Jo Ann & Vickie

Copyright 2016, Gooseberry Patch 978-1-62093-209-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in Korea.

6 slices bread

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1/4 t. sugar

1/4 t. cinnamon

1 T. oil

Garnish: maple syrup, powdered sugar or cream cheese

Cut each bread slice into 3 or 4 sticks using kitchen scissors. Beat eggs with a whisk in a bowl and then mix in milk, sugar and cinnamon. Dunk each bread stick into mixture one at a time, letting the bread soak up the egg. Spread oil on a hot griddle or skillet. Add bread sticks and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Squish with a potato masher gently so each piece is crisp in the center without burning the crust. Flip with a spatula when crisp on one side; repeat on the other side. Dip in maple syrup, sprinkle with powdered sugar or spread with cream cheese.

4 slices bread

non-stick vegetable spray

4 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

Spray both sides of bread with non-stick vegetable spray and place on cutting board. Cut a hole in the middle of each slice of bread using the juice glass and keep the circles you cut out. Toast bread slices and circles in a skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side. Crack an egg into the hole of each bread slice and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until eggs are set. Use a spatula to flip and cook second side one to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if you like. Place completed toads-in-the-hole on serving plates and top each with a bread circle so it looks like your toad is peeking out!

4 ready-to-use mini pizza crusts

1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 lb. brown & serve breakfast sausage links, cut into bite-size pieces

non-stick vegetable spray

6 eggs, beaten

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 1/4 cup pizza sauce

Place crusts on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Cook sausage in a sprayed skillet over medium heat until browned, about 3 minutes. Put sausage on a plate. Drain fat from skillet. Beat eggs with a whisk in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour eggs into skillet. Turn heat to low. Scramble eggs by gently turning with a spatula until theyre cooked but not dried out. Spoon sausage and egg onto crusts. Add a little pizza sauce, if you like. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until cheese melts.

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 t. baking soda

2 c. multi-grain flake cereal

1/2 to 3/4 c. precooked bacon, chopped

1/2 c. golden raisins

Blend butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in egg. Mix flour and baking soda together in another bowl; stir into butter mixture. Stir in cereal, bacon and raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Lift off cookies with a spatula to finish cooling on a wire rack.

1/3 c. raspberry jam

1/2 c. frozen raspberries, thawed

1 T. butter

1 T. water

1 c. biscuit baking mix

1/2 c. milk

1 egg, beaten

3 T. semi-sweet chocolate chips

non-stick vegetable spray

Optional: whipped topping

Combine jam, berries, butter and water in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened and bubbly. Keep warm. Stir biscuit mix, milk, egg and chocolate chips together in a mixing bowl. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a sprayed griddle or skillet over medium heat. Cook on one side until bubbles start to pop. Flip and continue cooking other side until golden. Drizzle with spoonfuls of warm raspberry sauce. Add a dollop of whipped topping, if you like.

1 ripe banana, sliced

1/2 c. strawberries, sliced

1 c. vanilla yogurt, divided

1 c. milk, divided

1 c. orange juice, divided

Optional: 1/2 c. orange sherbet, divided

The night before, mix banana and strawberry slices in a bowl. Divide the mixture between 2 small plastic bags. Spoon 1/2 cup yogurt into each bag, on top of fruit. Press bags closed. Freeze bags overnight. In the morning, break up one frozen bag of fruit with your hands. Pour it into a blender along with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup juice. Add 1/4 cup sherbet, if you like. Blend until smooth, with an adults help. Pour into a glass to serve. Repeat to make a second smoothie, or save the second bag in the freezer for another day.