My son is
an older teenager now, but when he was a younger kid, one of my favorite things
to do was to make silly and fun food, whether it was a caterpillar out of
veggies and grapes to try to entice him to eat well, or designing a
“Waffle-saurus” by cutting up breakfast into the shape of a dinosaur. These
memories are held close to my heart, and not only were they fun for him, they
were a joy for me too. Having a little fun with food is not only a great way to
promote healthy eating and “disguise” items, but it can also be an interactive
experience for your little ones. They can often join in on the fun if you want
to have them help in the kitchen making shapes out of sandwiches or curling
split hot dogs to make octopuses for lunch!
Some
of my favorite ways to make fun food back then was to create a themed snack for
movie time, such as a blue pudding “ocean” and graham cracker crumb “sand” parfait
for “Moana,” or by making mock recipes – items that looked like one thing but
were actually something else, almost like an April Fool’s edible trick. One
super fun fake snack I made back then was the “Shamburger,” a little sweet
treat that looked like savory mini hamburgers but were actually made with
easy-to-make store-bought sweet items instead.
The
Shamburger may be a bit more indulgent of a treat, but it’s easy to assemble,
stores well, and is just downright fun for the whole family. Here’s how to put
it all together:
“Shamburger
Treat”
Components:
·
mini
Nilla wafers
·
chocolate
covered grasshopper cookies
·
coconut
flakes
·
green
food coloring
·
red
icing gel pen
·
light
corn syrup
·
white
toasted sesame seeds
Put it
Together:
· Place one Nilla wafer upside down,
and top it with one grasshopper cookie, just as you would with a real hamburger
patty and bun.
· In a small plastic sandwich bag,
mix coconut flakes with a small drop of green food coloring. Close the bag and
shake until the flakes are slightly coated and light green. Adjust with more
food coloring if needed. Sprinkle a few flakes onto each grasshopper cookie to
serve as the “shredded lettuce.”
· Squeeze a few drizzles of the red
icing gel atop the burger to resemble some “ketchup.”
· Place a second Nilla wafer right
side up on top of your fake burger patty and toppings.
· Using a clean fingertip, small
baking tool, or a Q-tip, spread a tiny drop of light corn syrup atop each
“bun,” then drop a couple of sesame seeds on the corn syrup so they stick.
This fun idea is definitely one
that you can experiment and play around with. For instance, you can use yellow
frosting to add “mustard” or even slice small strawberries to add “tomatoes.” I
know your kids will get a kick out of this little trick treat. Enjoy!
