They are going to larva this taste of Italy

You will need: 1 packet of cherry tomatoes, 1 pot mozzarella balls (pearls), a few black olives, handful of basil leaves, cocktail sticks (optional).

1. Build your caterpillars by taking 3 cherry tomatoes and two Mozzarella balls and altering them on a plate. If you want to stop them moving around, break a cocktail stick into small pieces and poke them into each piece to hold them in place.
2. To decorate the caterpillar face, use a thin slice of mozzarella and cut 2 small circles and then add a small dot of olive skin for the pupil.
3. To make the mouth , cut a small circle of olive skin and then using the same size cutter, cut a crescent moon shape from the small circle. Press this against the tomato face and it should stick. It not, then use a little low-fat cream cheese to hold the face features in place.
4. Finally, tuck a basil leaf under the head of each caterpillar.

Caution: If you have used cocktail sticks to hold the caterpillar together, ensure that these are safely  removed before eating.

Steps of fun all the way! – funky party

Makes 20.

350/120z plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
125g/4/0z butter
175g/6oz light soft brown sugar
1 free-range egg
4 tsp golden syrup
raisins
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1. sift together the flour, bicarbonate of sods ginger and cinnamon and pour into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and blend until the mix looks like breadcrumbs.
Stir the sugar.

2. Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together, and to the food processor and pulse until the mixture clumps together. Tip the dough out, kneed briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with grease paper. Take a piece of dough mixture about the size of a walnut and roll into a short fat sausage and then bend in the middle to make a slight ‘v’ shape.

4. Take more dough and make two egg shapes about the size of a marble, and then make two more of them slightly larger.

5. On the side of the ‘v’, press a small lip around the edge using a dab of water, press the egg shapes onto edge and against the V. Place the two larger egg shapes in the middle and the smaller ones on either side.

6. Once they are all fixed in place, use a small safe knife to cut an opening in the front of each one and then cut a raisin lengthways in half and push it into opening leaving enough sticking out for a ‘claw’.

7. Transfer the tray the carefully to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, for until lightly golden-brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to wire rack to finish cooling.

Pizza Making

It’s so much fun making a pizza!

You will need: 2 tablespoons tomato puree or pasta sauce, a few fresh mushrooms, sliced, 1/2 slice ham, chopped, 1/2 ball mozzarella cheese, sliced, 1 pitted black olive, halved, 1/2 cherry tomato1, other children’s choices

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas 6.
2. Spread the pizza dough into the shape you desire.
3. Spread the tomato puree evenly over the base.
4. Scatter the mushrooms and ham,
5. Put mozzarella cheese over the pizza.
6. For an idea you, make a face using the olive halves for eyes, the cherry tomato for a nose and other children’s choices for a smile.  ( But encourage your children to be create and decorate it the way that that they like best.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown at the edges, about 10 minutes.

Continue reading “Lunches ideas” →

** Also remember of the cooking recipe book in a PDF format of the cooking ideas padlet post!

Berry Tasty Muffins 

You will need:  flour, 1 c. oatmeal, 3 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 4 tsp. baking powder, 1 c. blueberries, washed, 1 egg, 1 c. milk, 1/4 c. vegetable oil, nonstick cooking spray

Equipment and supplies:

• oven (you’ll need help from your adult assistant)
• mixing spoon
• 2 large bowls
• fork
• 12 muffin/cupcake tin
• paper muffin/cupcake liners
• wire rack for cooling muffins
• measuring cups and spoons

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oatmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
3. Mix in blueberries.
4. In another bowl, break the egg and use a fork to beat it just a little bit. Then add the milk and vegetable oil, and mix.
5. Add egg mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl.
6. Using a mixing spoon, mix about 25 or 30 times. Don’t mix too much! Your muffin mixture should be lumpy, not smooth.
7. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly spray with nonstick spray. Spoon in the muffin mix. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 of the way up.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes.
9. When muffins are finished baking, remove from muffin tin and cool them on a wire rack.
10. Enjoy your berry tasty muffins!

Continue reading “Desserts” →

– Here are Some ideas of Happy Sandwiches for Happy Children! – 

** Remember that there are a also a recipe book in a PDF format in one of the Padlet post.

Hope you like some of these!

Yo ho ho! – Funky lunch!

You will need: bread (chose form white or brown) sandwich filling, bread sticks, ham, cucumber, cheese. 

                 'set sail on the high seas

                  me hearty, with this edible

                 pirate adventure'  

1. Assemble your sandwich using slices two slices of bread and your favourite filling.
2. Cut the shape of ship’s hull from sandwich.
3. Take an apple corer and carefully make three portholes in the side of the ships’s  hull, removing just the top layer of bread.
4. Place the sandwich on a plate and use the bread sticks to form a mast and use a slice of ham for the sail.
5. Finish your sandwich with a skull-and-cross bones flag made from cucumber and cheese and then set it to sail on a sea of cucumber slices.

** A sea of lettuce leaves makes a great alternative to cucumber

**Instead of ham sail use a slice of cheese for a meat-free alternative.

Continue reading “Sandwiches making ideas” →