Mini pizzas

Tempt your picky eater with child-size portions.

For this project, you can make this fabulous whole-wheat pizza crust, or just use a can of refrigerated biscuit dough for the mini pizzas. This makes a lot of crust so if you don't use it all, just freeze the extra to use later.

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 5 1/2 cups bread flour

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let sit until creamy; about 10 minutes.

Stir the olive oil, whole wheat flour, salt and 4 cups of the bread flour into the yeast mixture. Mix in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume; about 1 hour. (For the perfect "warm place", turn your oven on for 2 minutes, then turn it back off. Place the dough inside and keep the door closed to keep the little bit of heat in.)

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into three equal pieces and form into rounds. Cover the rounds and let them rest for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into the desired shape, cover it with your favorite toppings and bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for about 20 minutes or until the crust and cheese are golden brown.

Or let one child cover it with her favorite toppings while the other eats all of his. Possible topping ideas: pepperoni, sliced olives, green peppers, Canadian bacon (or ham), pineapple, pre-cooked sausage bits, mushrooms, cooked/shredded chicken, spinach. For the sauce, a can of tomato sauce with a little Italian seasoning sprinkled in will work fine, or any jar of pizza or spaghetti sauce will do.

If you have any kid-friendly baking tools (rolling pins, cookie cutters, etc.) it's fun for the kids to shape their own pizza crust.

And it helps to have Calvin around to do the clean-up!

Halloween coloring pages

Stuck inside with the cold weather? Print out some special Halloween coloring pages for your little monsters.

Use this link or search the internet for "Halloween coloring pages". Alternately create your own coloring sheets by inserting clip art or the saved coloring page images into a Word document and adding your own text ("W is for Witch!") Just remember to select "outline" on your font properties.

Little Piggy Pies

Tempt your children to eat their veggies with these darling piggy pies (from recipes.howstuffworks.com)

Difficulty: Medium

You will need:
1 can refrigerated biscuit dough (10 biscuits)
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, potatoes, peas, celery, green beans, corn, onions and/or lima beans)
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
8 oz. chopped cooked chicken
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning or sage
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove 10 green peas from frozen mixed vegetables. Combine remaining vegetables, soup, chicken, yogurt, water, thyme, poultry seasoning and garlic powder in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Spoon hot chicken mixture into 5 (10-ounce) custard cups. Press five biscuits into 3-inch circles. Place one circle carefully on top of chicken mixture.

Cut each remaining biscuit into eight wedges. Place two wedges on top of each circle; fold points down to form ears. Roll one wedge into small ball. Use tip of spoon handle to make indents in snout for nostrils. Place in center of each circle to form pig's snout. Place 2 reserved green peas on each circle for eyes.

Place remaining biscuit wedges around each "pig" for legs. Twist one wedge into a "tail" for each. Place cups or mugs on a cookie sheet so that they are stable in the oven. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until biscuits are golden.

Kool-aid Playdough

This play dough is inexpensive, easy to make, non-toxic and smells wonderful!

Difficulty: Easy

You will need: 1 cup flour
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup salt
3 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 package Kool-Aid Mix (any flavor or color you want)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 gallon-sized zip-lock bag (heavy duty if you have it)

In the zip-lock bag, mix together the dry ingredients, let your child squish them together. Add the boiling water and oil by yourself. If the bag is too hot to touch comfortably, let your child squish it together under a towel or inside a pillowcase. Mix well, until a dough forms. Add a bit more flour if it is too sticky.

Turn your child loose with the dough and fun things from your kitchen, like a rolling pin, cookie cutters, plastic knives and more. If you have a problem with your young toddler eating too much of the dough, increase the salt content to discourage them. Store in an airtight container in the fridge to keep the dough fresh.

Pudding paint

All the fun of finger painting and you don't have to worry when they eat the paints!


Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Under $5 (if you have to buy all the supplies, most you should have around the house)

You will need:
Roll of butcher paper
Several small cups
White pudding, prepared (vanilla, banana, cheesecake)
Edible food colors (liquid, gel or cake decorator's paste)
Foam brushes, if desired
Tape

Divide pudding into several small cups, coloring each a different color. Spread the butcher paper across the table, taping the edges down to hold it in place. Put pudding paints, foam brushes and any other painting tools (foam stamps might be fun) in front of your toddler and let them go nuts. If you're worried about the mess, spread a painter's drop cloth under the kitchen table and dress your child in old clothes, a smock apron or just let them go bare.

Jungle Bread

In our house, it's impossible to get our kids to eat anything green... except Jell-O! However, a hastily concocted story (let's call it a fairy tale instead of an all-out lie) about giraffes that made "Jungle Bread" and delivered it especially for the children made them both interested in eating it! Fortunately the monkeys copied the recipe down for me so my toddlers can enjoy baking it with me.

Difficulty: Medium

You will need:
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 greased and floured loaf pans

In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Add oil, brown sugar, zucchini, and vanilla; stir well. Blend in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in raisins and nuts. Split batter between 2 greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. If you have them, small loaf pans might be even more appealing to the kids.

Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour. Cool.

This bread keeps nicely in the freezer, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in a freezer zip-lock bag.

Spooky Halloween Decor

Difficulty: Medium
Cost: About 40 cents (for the salt, everything else was free, or items you would have around the house already).

You will need:
Two paper grocery bags
Pebbles or other weights for the tree base
Small water or soda bottle
1 cup salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup flour
Fine-tip permanent marker
This will make 6 ghosts and 2 trees, adjust ingredients if you want more.

Create these spooky salt dough ghosts and paper bag trees to add to your holiday decor. It took about 1 1/2 hours to mix the dough and create everything, so it was just about perfect for family home evening. Teaches counting (the recipe) and free creativity (salt dough and twisting the paper). Bonus: the finished decorations are not fragile and cost almost nothing to make!

Complete instructions AND a really helpful video can be found here.

Whole Wheat Bread-in-a-bag

A kid-friendly recipe for a snack that is actually good for them! Half whole-wheat and half white flour, this bread is light and chewy, but with all the benefits of whole grain. It's a great way to introduce children to whole-wheat breads if they don't eat them already. This is a really fun recipe that kids of all ages can help with.

Difficulty: Medium

You will need:
2 3/4 cups bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp rapid rise yeast
3 tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 1/3 cups warm water (130 F)
3 tbsp. butter
cooking spray
plastic wrap
1 gallon-size zip-lock bag
2 loaf pans

In the zip-lock bag, mix the 2 cups bread flour, yeast, sugar and water and seal the bag. Let the kids squish it for a minute or so. Add salt and butter. Squish squish squish. They're forming the gluten at this point, as well as letting the yeast proof so let them go nuts for a few more minutes.

Add the 2 cups of whole wheat flour and work until well-blended. Turn out onto a clean, floured countertop and work the remaining 3/4 cup bread flour into the dough. You might not use it all. Things like humidity affect your flour - you'll almost never use the same amount from time to time. When the dough is just barely not-sticky enough that you can knead it without picking it off your hands each time, there is enough flour in it. It should still feel slightly tacky and might even stick to the counter a bit. Too much flour and your bread won't be all fluffy and delicious.

Break off a small amount of dough for your toddler. Together, knead the dough for about 6-8 minutes. It's very relaxing. It should start to feel smooth and elastic in your hands, with a uniform texture and no lumps of flour. Don't tear the dough because it will release all the tiny air bubbles you've trapped inside the dough. Tuck the loose ends under the dough ball so the top stretches out like a skin, and place it on the counter. Spray with cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 10 minutes. You can tell the dough is done if you can poke your finger about 1/2 inch into the dough ball and the impression will stay there.

Cut your rested dough into 2 halves. Press out the air bubbles (you can just roll a rolling pin down the dough one time), roll up the dough into a loaf, pinch the seam and place the dough, seam-side-down, in to a greased loaf pan. Let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes or until double in size. For the perfect warm place, let the oven pre-heat for 1-2 minutes, turn the heat off and put the bread in the warm oven with the door closed. It will be protected from drafts (and kids hands!)

Place in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

When you tap the top of the loaf, it should sound hollow. Then you know your bread is done in the middle. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and turn out onto racks to cool the rest of the way. If you want, brush the top of the loaf with a bit of butter.

Welcome to our Playgroup Blog

This will be a fun place to organize play group hosts, share ideas for fun toddler activities and exchange recipes.