Making your own animal crackers is a great way to spend time in the kitchen and a good thing for your little one to help out with!  You can get animal cookie cutters at most local stores.  Williams Sonoma has some that are really cute and seem to be easier for toddlers to handle.  Check them out here.

Here is a great and easy recipe:

• 1 cup Oatmeal
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Grind oatmeal in a food processor. Add salt, brown sugar, flour and baking soda. Cut in butter. Add honey, and buttermilk. Mix to a dough that is firm. Form into rounds and place in refrigerator for about an hour or more.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Roll dough thin, about 1/8 of an inch on a floured surface.  Cut with cookie cutters.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees until brown (6 to 10 minutes).  Monitor closely as cookies can go from golden to brown very quickly.

Let cool 10 minutes, and enjoy! 

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1 tube of refrigerated breadsticks

8 hot dogs

8 popsicle sticks

BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard or ranch dressing for dipping

Separate dough and roll each piece into a rope.  Insert sticks into hot dogs lengthwise.  Starting at one end, wrap dough in a sprial around the hot dog.  Pinch the ends to seal.

Place one inch apart on a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes or until dough is brown and golden.  Serve with dipping sauce of your choice.

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2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp of Rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 lb of ground beef
12 oz uncooked ziti

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Cook pasta according to package directions

3.  Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add garlic and saute about 2 minutes.  Add beef and cook till brown, then drain excess oil off.

4.  Add oregano, thyme, salt and pepper, and rosemary and stir to coat the beef.  Cook about two minutes.  Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

5.  Spoon a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish.  Layer with half of the ziti, half of the tomato sauce, and half of the mozzarella cheese.  Layer the remaining ziti on top and top that with the tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. 

6.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese is golden

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1 Tablespoon of Dijon or Honey Mustard

4 Slices of thin deli ham

2 slices of Swiss cheese

2 slices of whole wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed

Spread the mustard over the two pieces of bread.  Layer one piece of bread with cheese, ham and another slice of cheese.  Top with remaining bread.

Butter the outside of the sandwich.  In a skillet over medium heat, toast the sandwich for 4 minutes on each side or until bread is lightly toasted and cheese is melted. 

Cut sandwich lengthwise into thirds and serve.

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Need a quick and easy dessert?  Try this recipe!

*  Take a store bought 9-inch graham cracker pie crust and cook according to package directions

*  Let crust cool

*  Fill with your favorite ice cream (I use BlueBell Cookies and Cream)

*  Top with your favorite toppings (Fruit, whip cream, chocolate or caramel syrup, or nuts!)

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I made this recipe this weekend for a birthday party and thought it was a great idea and quite yummy!

For the Baseball:

* 8 oz softened cream cheese
* 2 tsp of powdered Ranch dressing mix
* 4 tbsp of Sour Cream
* Red Food coloring

1. Mix together the cream cheese and ranch dressing mix and place onto a sheet of plastic wrap and wrap up in the shape of a ball.  Refrigerate overnight.  On the day of the party, remove cream cheese ball from the refrigerator and roll to make a round baseball shape.  Remove the plastic wrap and place the ball on a small dish.

2. Mix the sour cream and red food coloring in a bowl until the sour cream looks more red than pink. Spoon red sour cream mixture into a pastry bag with a round tip or use a ziploc bag with the corner cut off. Pipe the red sour cream on the baseball into a stitch pattern.

3. Place decorated ball in the refrigerator until close to serving time.

For the Baseball Field:

* Store bought Guacamole or your favorite homemade recipe
* 4 Tbsp of Sour Cream
* Wheat Thins

1. Place guacamole in a square dish and spread evenly, making a small mound in the middle of the dish for a pitchers mound (this is where the baseball will be)

2. Spoon sour cream into a pastry bag with a round tip or use a ziploc bag with the corner cut off. Pipe the sour cream on the guacamole as the baselines of the field.

3. Place wheat thin crackers on the dip to look like bases.

4. Place baseball on the mound and serve

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