Spiders

1 box Ritz crackers

1 jar peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

1/2 cup dried cranberries, dried blueberries, or raisins

1 bag thin pretzel sticks

Spread peanut butter on one side of a cracker. Top this with another cracker. Break 4 pretzel sticks in half. Stick the pretzel sticks into the peanut butter on both sides of the cracker to form the spider's legs.

Lightly spread the top of the cracker with peanut butter and place the dried cranberries to form the spider's eyes.

Serves 6

Little Lamb Puffs

6 large marshmallows

1 (16-oz.) can vanilla frosting

Black paste food coloring (available from cake decorating supply stores)

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Special Equipment

Scissors; bamboo skewers; small sealable plastic bag

To make the heads, cut off 1/4-inch round from end of each marshmallow. Dip scissors in hot water and make 2 V-shaped cuts on opposite side of each slice to form ears and face. Reserve one cut-out piece for each tail.

Cut bamboo skewers into 1-1/2-inch lengths. (You will need a total of 24 stick pieces.) Stick 4 sticks into side of each larger portion of marshmallows to make lamb legs. Frost body of lamb generously with white frosting. Sprinkle coconut over frosting, pressing it on gently so that it sticks.

Attach head and tail to each body with frosting. Mix about 1/4 cup of the remaining frosting with enough black food coloring to turn it black. Scrape black frosting into a small, sealable bag and seal the bag. Snip a tiny hole in a bottom corner of the bag. Pipe eyes, nose and mouth onto each lamb face.

The lambs are now ready to frolic as a centerpiece, as decorations for a birthday cake or a cunning little dessert.

Yield: 6 little lambs

Black food coloring is not a common color but is available from cake decorating stores. (If you can't find it or don't want to bother, substitute green and the tiniest drop of red. If the intensity is right, it will look very dark indeed -- nearly black.)

Kooky Cookie Sandwiches

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

Several drops peppermint, almond, lemon, or orange extract or flavoring

2 to 3 teaspoons small, multicolored decorative candies (i.e., candy sprinkles)

12 purchased chocolate chip or other cookies, about 2-1/2 inches in diameter

In a small mixing bowl, beat together butter and half of the powdered sugar. Beat in milk, extract, and remaining powdered sugar. Stir in decorative candies. Spread on the bottom of 6 of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

Wrap and chill.

Makes 6

Peanut Butter Pinwheels

Creamy or chunky peanut butter

Honey

Flour tortilla

Granola

Spread peanut butter and a little bit of honey on a fresh flour tortilla. Sprinkle with granola, roll up the tortilla, then slice it into bite-size pinwheels.

Peanut Butter Pinwheels

Creamy or chunky peanut butter

Honey

Flour tortilla

Granola

Spread peanut butter and a little bit of honey on a fresh flour tortilla. Sprinkle with granola, roll up the tortilla, then slice it into bite-size pinwheels.

Pink Cloud

1 (10-ounce) pkg. frozen strawberries in light syrup

1 cup milk

2 cups strawberry frozen yogurt or strawberry light ice cream

Place strawberries in the pouch in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes. Remove from water and carefully open pouch; pour strawberries and the syrup into blender container. Cover and blend till smooth.

Add milk and half the yogurt or ice cream; blend till smooth. Stop blender; scrape down sides. Add remaining yogurt or ice cream. Blend till smooth. Stop and scrape down sides, if necessary. Pour into glasses.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) milk chocolate morsels

3/4 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

1/2 cup jelly or jam

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate morsels and peanuts. Press three-quarters of the dough into an ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan.

Bake for 15 minutes; remove from oven. Dollop jelly by heaping teaspoon over partially baked dough. Let stand for 1 minute; spread to cover. Dollop remaining dough by heaping teaspoon over the jelly.

Bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Serve with a tall glass of milk.

Makes 4 dozen bars.

Banana Wrap

8 inch flour tortilla

2 - 3 tablespoons peanut butter

2 - 3 jam or jelly

1 small banana, peeled

Place tortilla on a paper towel, microwave on high for 10 to 20 seconds until tortilla is soft and warm. Spread with peanut butter, then top with jelly or jam. Place banana near the right edge of the tortilla. Fold up the bottom 1/4 of tortilla. Bring right edge over the banana and roll up.

Aquarium Jello

Great idea for a simple dessert at kid's parties!
· goldfish bowl, nice and clean
· red hots or Jelly Belly gravel beans
· blue Jello
· ice cubes
· cold water
· purple endive
· parsley sprigs
· gummy fish

Use a new or well cleaned goldfish bowl. In the bottom, the original recipe called for red-hots as the 'gravel', but I plan to use the Jelly Belly beans that look like rocks. Mix up as much blue Jello as your bowl will hold. Mix using ice cubes & cold water instead of the cold water called for on the box. Pour this into the bowl over a knife blade or something to keep from disturbing the gravel. If you want it to have 'seaweed', poke a couple of pieces of purple endive or something similar down into the gravel. When the whole thing starts to jell, use a wooden skewer to push gummy fish into different parts of the bowl. If you're going to be able to supervise the serving, you could even add a plastic diver man, etc.

· goldfish bowl, nice and clean
· red hots or Jelly Belly gravel beans
· blue Jello
· ice cubes
· cold water
· purple endive
· parsley sprigs
· gummy fish

Use a new or well cleaned goldfish bowl. In the bottom, the original recipe called for red-hots as the 'gravel', but I plan to use the Jelly Belly beans that look like rocks. Mix up as much blue Jello as your bowl will hold. Mix using ice cubes & cold water instead of the cold water called for on the box. Pour this into the bowl over a knife blade or something to keep from disturbing the gravel. If you want it to have 'seaweed', poke a couple of pieces of purple endive or something similar down into the gravel. When the whole thing starts to jell, use a wooden skewer to push gummy fish into different parts of the bowl. If you're going to be able to supervise the serving, you could even add a plastic diver man, etc.

McHamburger Cookies

1 box vanilla wafers
1 cup flaked coconut
1 green food coloring
1 package chocolate coated keebler - grasshopper cookies
1 can vanilla frosting
1 yellow food coloring
1 egg white - beaten
1 slightly
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Place vanilla wafers on surface, flat side up. In a plastic food bag knead coconut with just enough green food coloring to tint it the color of shredded lettuce.

Put 1/3 of frosting into small bowl with just enough water to thin to consistency of buttermilk (pourable). Add a few drops yellow food coloring to resemble color or American cheese.

Place a dab of frosting on flat side of each vanilla wafer and then a bit of tinted coconut.

Place a Keebler cookie on top of that with a little bit of frosting and cover with flat side of another vanilla wafer, using a little pressure to force some of the frosting to drip over sides resembling melted cheese.

Wipe top of each assembled cookie in beaten egg white and sprinkle with a few sesame seeds before egg white can dry.

Let stand at room temp until firm or set and wrap each in paper used to wrap the McDonald's hamburgers in. Store at room temp, covered, to use in a week or two.

Posted by Karen

Chocolate "Clay"

Important note: Adult supervision and participation is required for this activity. Also maybe a few words on why you can eat THIS clay but not other "non-edibles"!!

10 ounces of chocolate (chopped chunks or chips)
1/3 cup light corn syrup

Note: the chocolate can be substituted with almond bark, or colored candy disks to create different colored flowers

Melt the chocolate in a microwave for 1 minute. Stir. If chocolate is not completely melted, return to the microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir until smooth. If you don't have a microwave, place the chocolate in the top of a double broiler over hot water and stir until melted.

When the chocolate is melted, add the corn syrup and blend.
Pour the mixture onto a waxed paper sheet.

Spread the chocolate with your fingers until it's about 1/2-inch thick. Cover loosely with waxed paper and let it stiffen for at least a couple hours or overnight. The chocolate will become very pliable.

Making a Chocolate Rose:
Have the kids roll 10 marble-sized balls out of the chocolate clay. Place the balls on a waxed paper sheet, about 1 inch apart. Place another waxed paper sheet on top. Big or little thumbs can press each marble into a flat disk (about the size of a quarter). Use some pressure!

To form the rose:
Remove 1 disk and curl it into a "teepee" shape, narrow at the top and wider at the bottom. Wrap the next disk around the opening of the teepee and the third disk at the back of the teepee. This is the rose bud. Continue adding disks which will look like petals. Continue to layer them to create a rose in bloom. They will harden after a few days and can be saved by storing in a cool, dry place. Since this recipe is the consistency of modeling clay, you can mold any shape you want.

Cracker Jack Cupcakes

Using your favorite cake or cupcake recipe, prepare batter. After pouring into baking tin, sprinkle crushed Cracker Jacks on top. Bake as directed in cake recipe.

Remove from oven and BEFORE cake/cupcakes have cooled, pour the following recipe over the top - no need to spread it, it will fill in the nooks and crannies perfectly.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 3/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar
3 Tbs milk

Melt butter in saucepan and stir in brown sugar. Stir and boil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cool till lukewarm; add milk.

Gradually add in confectioners sugar, stirring until desired consistency is obtained. Add more milk if needed.

Pudding Cones
Will keep refrigerated for several hours. What a treat, pudding you can eat without a dish or spoon.

6 oz. Almond Bark (Chocolate or White, melted)

1 cup Miniature Marshmallows

12 - 15 Small Ice Cream Cones (standard shape, flat on bottom)

1 package Instant Pudding 3.9 oz (favorite flavor)

8 oz. Carton Whipped Topping (save unused topping for another recipe)

Toppings (sprinkles, maraschino cherry's, nuts, chocolate syrup, etc.)

With melted bark place a teaspoon of bark inside of each ice cream cone lightly coat sides and bottom. Place four marshmallows on the bottom of each cone.

Place ice cream cones in refrigerator until bark is set. Prepare pudding as directed and place in refrigerator until set. When ready to serve, spoon pudding in cones, spoon whipped topping on pudding and top with your favorite sprinkles or nuts.

Serving Size: 6

Rainbow Cupcakes

1 package white cake mix

1/4 cup KOOL-AIDE Sugar-Sweetened Soft Drink Mix

Rainbow Frosting

Rainbow Frosting

1 tablespoon kool-aid sugar-sweetened soft drink mix, any flavor

1 container (16 oz.) ready to spread vanilla frosting

Prepare and bake cake as directed on package for cupcakes, adding soft drink mix before beating. Frost cool cupcakes with frosting. Decorate as desired.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Rainbow Frosting

Stir 1 Tbsp. KOOL-AID Sugar-Sweetened Soft Drink Mix, any flavor, into 1 container (16 oz) ready to spread vanilla frosting until well blended. Enjoy!

Surprise Balls

1 pint Cool Whip or 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

1 10-1/2 oz. pkg. Miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup Crushed peppermint stick candy

1/2 cup Chopped nuts

1 cup Crushed chocolate cookie crumbs OR 1 cup vanilla wafers OR 1 cup finely chopped nuts

Mix together whipped topping (or whipped cream), marshmallows, candy and 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, make golf-ball size portions out of the chilled mixture and roll each ball in cookie crumbs or nuts, then freeze until firm.

Note: The balls can be eaten without freezing if they are kept refrigerated.