Tiny Talk and the Adventures of Plastic Mommy

Here are two quick recipes that will definitely bring raving reviews from the kid critics and will still keep your schedule moving! Pizza is always a favorite in my house, so making these mini pizzas for my toddler gets me a yeah mom every time..

Mini pizzas - spread tomato paste or spaghetti sauce onto a toasted English muffin, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and any other toppings you like. Heat in the broiler for a minute or two until cheese is bubbly. Cool and serve, That's it! Doesnt get any easier.

Is your little one tired of the same old peanut butter and jam combo? Well test this little recipe and see if you get a thumbs up or thumbs down...be sure to let us know!

Peanut Butter and Apple Sandwich

Ingredients:
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon peanut butter, or to taste
1 small apple - peeled, cored and shredded

Spread peanut butter on two slices of bread, place thinly sliced apples on top of peanut butter. Close sandwich and serve immediately. I was a little skeptical about this one, but my little princess loved it. You'd be surprised what creative sandwiches your child will try, especially if you allow them to participate.

Here is a great treat I found on FamilyCorner.com, its great for now when you just want to delight your toddler or you may want to save it for Halloween.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Covered Apples

You will need 12 wooden ice cream sticks 12 medium apples, stems removed 1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar 2/3 cup cocoa Optional for decorating apples:chopped peanut butter chips chopped or mini chocolate chips, chopped vanilla chips, flaked coconut, colored sprinkles, chopped nuts

Directions

Insert wooden stick into each washed and dried apple. Cover a baking sheet or tray with waxed paper. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, stir together peanut butter chips and oil. Microwave on high 1-1/2 minutes or until chips are softened. Stir until melted.

Stir together confectioners' sugar and cocoa; gradually add to melted chip mixture, stirring until smooth. Microwave on high 1 minute or until very warm. Dip apples into mixture, twirling to remove excess coating. (If coating becomes too thick, return to microwave for a few seconds). Roll coated apple in chopped chips or coconut if desired, or sprinkle toppings onto apples. Allow to cool on prepared baking sheet or tray.

More peanut butter please!?? Okay.... so here is something crazy and fun your toddler will giggle like crazy about! Here a quick little activity that only involves marshmallow and peanut butter. Try it out, my toddler couldn't stop smiling!

Marshmallow Peanut Butter Beard

Spread peanut butter on your toddlers chin area and then stick the marshmallows on top of the peanut butter until you form a full white beard, take pictures, the grandparents will love it!

However she did insist on wearing her beard for quite a while longer than expected, and followed me from room to room eating off her face. Which brings me to.......

Exhibit A- It also makes a tasty afternoon snack!

11:38 AM
Categories: family life, recipes, Toddlers. Author: Tiny Talk

Tempting Tuesdays has come again and below are some quick & tasty ideas for your picky eater.

Breakfast:
Toast with a Face: Use cream cheese, slices of strawberry, blueberries and other fruits to draw a face on toasted bread.
Breakfast Smoothie: Blend low-fat yogurt with fruit to make a tasty, drinkable breakfast.

Lunch:

Silly Sandwiches: Use cookie cutters to make sandwiches in fun shapes. Cold-cut Roll Ups: Instead of a sandwich, take lunch meat, cheese slices, and a tortilla and roll them up together.

Dinner

Mini Pizzas: Use the usual ingredients and toppings, but a bagel for the crust.
Breakfast for Dinner: Serve waffles or omelets at dinner time.
Snack

Ants on a Log: Celery with peanut butter and raisins. Spread peanut butter on celery and line raisans up like ants in a line.

Frozen Juice Popsicles: Freeze no-sugar added natural juice in ice-cube containers, add toothpicks or popsicle sticks.

Remember being creative doesnt have to be time consuming. We can get our finicky eaters to enjoy meals with just a little thought on our part without lots of effort!

Quick Craft Idea: Toddler Bean Bag

All you need is

1 cup of beans

1 plastic baggie,1 baggie tie/string, an old sock(furry one preferred) and a rubberband.

My little one enjoyed making this bean bag. First we put the beans in the plastic baggie(we counted up to 30 as we put them in then my daughter just grabbed handfuls and put them in the baggie. We talked about the texture of the beans as well. Intitially grabbing the beans one by one is great for using motor skills! After putting all beans in the plastic baggie we tied it with a string and then put it in a sock and sealed it with a rubber band, but you can use a string for that as well. We used a furry sock because she loves furry socks so much! It was very simple and to my teenagers lame, but my little one thought is was great fun and loves throwing it around!

6:09 PM
Categories: recipes, Toddlers. Author: Tiny Talk

Suit up and dance through fall's rainy days, splash in every puddle--share all the new wonders of the fall season with your little ones. This Dino Rain Coat will keep your cutie looking great at budget stretcher prices.In the spirit of the season, here are some fun fall activities to try.


Pick Apples (or Pumpkins...)

Head to your local nursery, apple orchard, or farmers market and pick out your own little piece of fall's bounty. Don't forget to bring the camera to snap some adorable pictures of your angel(s) wrestling pumpkins or climbing haybales.


Make Your Own Fall Story Book

Buy cheap notebooks at the dollar store and decorate the covers with construction paper and common household trash like pieces of popsicle sticks. This idea can be great for several age ranges, as older children can write about their fall experiences and what they are learning, while younger children can go for a more multi-media approach and tell their stories with pictures and collages. Go for a walk around your neighborhood and collect interesting leaves and sandwich them between heavy books or other flat, hefty objects. When dry, the leaves can be glued as is in your journals or used for leaf rubbings. Take a leaf and place it on a table or desk. Cover it with a blank piece of paper. Use pencils, oil pastels, charcoal,or crayons and lightly rub over the top of the paper with the leaf underneath until the impression of the leaf shows, and voile`, you'll have your own leaf in any color you wish.

Go Indoor Camping!
Grab some thick sheets or blankets, drape over a few tall chairs, secure the ends with clothespins, and get ready to go camping in your new "tent." Don't forget your sleeping bags and other essential camping gear. With a flashlight or electric lantern, you and your little ones can curl up and tell tall fall tales. And what would camping be without S'mores?



Here's a quick and easy recipe for microwave S'mores:

• 20 whole graham crackers cut or broken in halves
• 20 marshmallows
• 1 jar premade chocolate frosting or one recipe chocolate frosting
  

12:02 AM
Categories: cooking, dessert, recipes, the Budget Stretcher, Toddlers. Author: AJae

Welcome to Tempting Tuesday, our day to provide you with great recipies to tempt the tummy of your pickly little eater! We will strive to provide you with recipies that do not have 1 million ingredients and will require a sitter for you to make. Fast and easy is our motto! So here try this next recipie and snack idea for your little one next time you are struggling with what to make for lunch/dinner.

Chilli Cheese Cornchip Dogs

Ingredients:
· 2 cans (approximately 16 ounces each) chili with beans
· 1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
· 2 tablespoons instant minced onion or 1/4 cup fresh grated onion
· 1 pound hot dogs, about 10
· 10 hot dog buns, split and toasted
· coarsely crushed corn chips
Preparation:
In a large saucepan, combine chili, cheese soup, and onion. Add hot dogs; heat to boiling then simmer for 5 minutes.
Place a hot dog on each toasted bun then top with chili cheese sauce and sprinkle with crushed corn chips.Makes 10 chili cheese hot dog sandwiches.

Frozen Chocolate Covered Bananas
Ingredients:
· 6 ripe bananas
· 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation:
Peel bananas; cut in half crosswise. Insert a wooden stick into flat end of each banana half. Lay bananas on a shallow pan; freeze for about 3 hours. Melt chocolate chops over hot water. With a spatula, quickly spread melted chocolate over each banana, coating well. Chocolate will become firm right away. Wrap each banana in foil; store in freezer. Serve when ready!

Hope you enjoyed these great recipes....More to come next Tempting Tuesday!

6:22 AM
Categories: recipes. Author: Tiny Talk

Pleasing our little ones is not always so easy. Coupled with all of our other mom/wife duties sometimes time can seem like the enemy! Here are three recipes that will be sure to put smiles on your little ones faces and will still allow you to complete your daily task list.

Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients
1 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Directions
In pot bring sugar & water to a boil. Let the mixture boil for exactly one minute. In a bowl, have the peanut butter and vanilla measured out and ready. Pour the sugar and water into the bowl when ready, and mix well. Pour into an 8x8 greased pan.

Let cool and enjoy...Make sure once you pour the sugar and water into the bowl with the peanut butter and vanilla work quickly it starts to harden up fast.And don't use a natural peanut butter it does not work...Use a brand like Skippy creamy


Not Quite Cheesecake

Ingredients
Cheesecake flavored instant pudding, Oreo Pie crust, A few Oreos chopped up.

Directions:
Make the pudding, fill the crust, sprinkle Oreos on top. Refrigerate & enjoy after the pudding sets good. Doesn't get much easier. Not exactly gourmet, but good


Chocolate Peanut Supreme

Ingredients
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter, 1/3 cup butter melted, 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 cups cold milk, 1 package (5.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix, 1 carton (12 oz) cool whip thawed, 1 cup chopped peanuts

Directions
In a large bowl, combine peanut butter and butter. stir in cracker crumbs and sugar. Press into a greased 13x9x2 inch dish.*In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 min. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft set; spoon over crust. Spread with whipped topping; sprinkle with peanuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until set. Refrigerate leftovers. 12-16 servings

7:35 AM
Categories: cooking, dessert, recipes. Author: Tiny Talk