Showing posts with label kid friendly foods. Show all posts

Pepperoni Pizza Love Pockets


This adorable little snack was inspired by my sweet little boy who has several food aversions. Like many children with autism, trying different foods can be a huge challenge. My son's menu consists mainly of pizza, chicken nuggets, pb&j sandwiches and a few choice snacks. Yep that's it. My partner, the school officials and I are working hard to add additional foods to his diet. We're currently striving for progress not perfection.

When the kids get home from school they bring their appetites with them, my son in particular usually ask for something pizza related (usually pizza rolls). I thought it'd be fun to have a go at making my own homemade pizza pockets for the kids to enjoy. 

I had some ready to bake refrigerated pie crust so I pulled of piece of parchment paper and unrolled the crust onto it. Then used a heart cookie cutter to create shapes.
I grabbed a pack of pepperonis from the fridge (I usually snack on these while drinking wine) and cut them in quarters. I have tons of shredded cheese but none of it was Mozzarella which I really wanted to use; so I just used a few Mozzarella string cheese sticks of the kids, slicing it super thin.



Brushed the edges of each heart with egg wash and then begin to fill some of the hearts with pepperoni and cheese. The remaining hearts were placed on top of the others.  Using a fork I firmly pressed down to close the pockets.




Tossed these lover boys in the oven for 12 mins and served with pizza sauce.

I wish I could say that my son absolutely gobbled these down like a maniac. But the truth is he didn't want to have anything to do with them.

He did however, after some convincing, take a tiny bite and spit it out, which is a huge step in the right direction. I'm ecstatic that he tried them!

As for the fate of the pizza pockets don't worry they didn't stay around long. They were completely devoured by my other  children. And my little man smiled and ate his familiar pizza treats.

A ok with me.

Here's what you'll need:

1 pack of refrigerated pie crust
1 pack of pepperonis
Mozzarella string cheese sticks (or shredded mozzarella cheese)
Egg
1 tbsp. water
olive oil cooking spray
parchment paper

Here's what you do:

Place a piece of parchment paper down. Unroll the pie crust on to paper. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter (or whatever you prefer) to make shapes. Be certain to have an even number of identical shapes.

Stack several pepperonis atop of one another and slice through center of them once horizontally and once vertically so that they are quartered.

Slice mozzarella cheese stick into very thin slices (resembling small coins).

Using egg wash (one egg beaten +1tbsp water) brush the edges of hearts.

Line half of the hearts up and begin filling them with pepperoni and cheese.
Take the remainder of hearts and place them on top of each filled heart to use as a top.

Using a fork, press firmly around the edges of each pizza pocket to seal.
Spritz a cookie sheet with olive oil cooking spray and place all pockets on sheet.

Place in the oven for about 10-12mins or until edges are golden brown.

Serve with pasta sauce.

What's your child's favorite snack?
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Watermelon Jolly Rancher Snow Ice cream


 I awakened this morning to the sight of snow painting itself upon the streets, grass and trees, creating a winter white masterpiece. Large snowflakes propelled downward, just begging to be tasted by a warm open tongue.

My wife was in the kitchen preparing an tomato basil soup and the smell of slightly overcooked grill cheese sandwiches filled the air. The atmosphere sparked a nostalgic moment from my childhood.

A time when my father was still living at home with us, every winter having my sisters and I collect snow and when we returned he would create a delicious creamy treat.

 His recipe consisted of snow, whole milk, sugar and a spoon of vanilla. When I became a mom, I continued this tradition, making snow cream in a similar manner. I will always be a fan of the classic snow ice cream recipe, but I also enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and putting a little spin on things.  Here's how I created my watermelon jolly rancher snow cream.

 The kids and I went out and gathered 10-12 cups of fresh clean snow in a large bowl. When we came inside I opened and added a can of sweetened condensed milk.

While rummaging through the cabinet for sprinkles, a small box of watermelon flavoring jumped out at me. As I reached to place it back into the cabinet, I was hit with an aha moment.  I opened a packet of flavoring and added it to the mix.

Using a large spoon I stirred things until it was of ice cream consistency. The color was beautiful, but the taste would be the tell all. Oh my gosh! When I say freaking delicious...wow wee wow! The kids and I agree we have a winner.  Gourmet flavor for sure.


Here's what you'll need:

10-12 cups fresh clean snow
1 (14oz)can sweetened condensed milk
1 packet of Jolly Rancher water flavoring (you can find this in the grocery store next to Kool-aid, Crystal Light etc.)
Sprinkles (optional)

Here's what you do:

Place snow in a large bowl. Add sweetened condensed milk and jolly rancher flavoring.
Mix everything together well until the snow is of ice cream consistency.
If your ice cream seems a bit loose, continue to add snow in small increments until it reaches your preferred texture.

Enjoy immediately or place in freezer.

Tips:

If it's still snowing, just place your large bowl in the snow, so it can collect on its on.

Placing serving bowls in the freezer before serving keeps the cream from melting as quickly.

One packet of jolly rancher flavoring is enough. I've tried 2 packs and the taste was a bit overwhelming (even for the kiddos).

If you try this please share your thoughts.
 If you make snow ice cream and come up with an amazing concoction do share we'd love to hear!

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