Tasty & Fun

Tasty & Fun - page spread

We asked and you responded! Our contest seeking your favorite "kid-friendly" recipes had only two rules: recipes had to be easy to make and really yummy!

We received so many recipes and great ideas that picking just one winner was quite a challenge. So we sent our own little chefs into the Christian Parenting Today test kitchen and came up with seven favorites. Our grand prize winner, Angela Hines, won $100. Runners-up each received $25.

If you're expecting a houseful of company during the holidays or your kids are getting bored during Christmas vacation, try some of these recipes for yourself. We know you're going to love them! (For more great recipes, check out our Web site at ChristianParenting.net.)

Oooey Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Pizza

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1 cup (or more) mini-marshmallows
1/2 cup (or more) semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Cream sugars and butter. Mix in peanut butter and combine thoroughly. Add vanilla and egg. Stir in flour. Spread in a greased, round cake pan (8- or 9-inch). Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Take out and sprinkle with chocolate chips and marshmallows. Bake another 5 minutes until puffy and brown. Cut in wedges and serve with a tall glass of milk.

?Angela Hines - Ney, Ohio

(Note: You can add other decorative candies and sweets if desired. Our food stylist added a holiday border by sprinkling cocoa powder and powdered sugar over stencils.)

RUNNER-UP

Spiral Sandwiches

1 piece pita bread or 2 flour tortillas
1/2 cup softened cream cheese
1 scallion or 6 chives, chopped
3 basil leaves, chopped
1 medium tomato, sliced in thin rounds
8 spinach leaves

If using pita bread, snip around edge to make two circles. Place pita circles or tortillas on plates. Mix cream cheese, scallions (or chives) and basil. Spread a thin layer of the mixture on the pitas or tortillas. Place three thin tomato slices on top of cream cheese. Spread a dab of cream cheese on each spinach leaf and lay on top of tomatoes. Roll up sandwich, pressing tightly to seal. Eat it whole or slice it in 1-1/2-inch slices.

?Connor Taylor - Bensalem, Pennsylvania

(Note: To dress these up for company, use flavored tortillas?we used spinach and tomato. Then simply cut the sandwiches at an angle and set them upright on their flat ends.)

RUNNER-UP

Crescent Roll Dessert

2 tubes crescent rolls
1 package cream cheese (8 oz.), softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk

Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg yolk until fluffy. Layer first tube of rolls on the bottom of a greased 9-inch-by-13-inch pan, making sure to pinch edges together. Spread cream cheese mixture over the first layer. Add a second layer of rolls with remaining tube. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until slightly brown. Cool.

Esther Yang - Rockford, Illinois

(Optional: Drizzle with powdered sugar glaze or sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon.)

RUNNER-UP

Bradford's Breakfast Parfait

1 6- ounce container of Swiss-style or blended strawberry, blueberry or banana yogurt
1/3 cup mixed berries and/or banana
1/4 cup granola cereal
1 teaspoon wheat germ (optional)

Fill the bottom third of a clear 10-to-12-ounce glass or plastic cup with yogurt. Add a layer of berries. Spread another layer of yogurt then cover the top with a generous amount of granola. Sprinkle with wheat germ if desired.

Bradford, Joanna and Marie Fischer - Stamford, Connecticut

RUNNER-UP

Yum-Yum Apples

1 medium apple
1/2 cup mini-marshmallows
chocolate syrup

Cut out the entire core of an apple, making sure to leave the bottom of the apple intact. Melt marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl for 10-to-15 seconds. Fill apple with melted marshmallows. Pour chocolate syrup in a bowl and roll apple in it to cover completely. (You may need to use a spatula to spread evenly.) Place apple on a piece of waxed paper and freeze for one hour. Remove from freezer and let thaw for 5-to-10 minutes before eating.

Heather Schachel - Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

RUNNER-UP

Ice Cream Pie

5 square graham crackers
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
2 cups ice cream

Place graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush. Pour crumbs into a bowl. Add sugar and mix well. Cut in butter until crumbly. Put the crumb mixture into two small dishes and pat down to form pie shells. Fill the pie shells with ice cream and decorate with cherries, nuts or candy.

Cheryl, Erin and Lauren McCulley - Littleton, Colorado

RUNNER-UP

Spinach Pie

4 eggs, beaten
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, starting with the eggs and adding the spinach last. Spread mixture in a 9-inch-by-13-inch cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, until top is golden.

Sharon and Nat Jehlen - South Nyack, New York

(Note: You can substitute 2 cups of grated zucchini for the package of spinach.)

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