Great kids activity : fun edible food-art creations using cereal

It's the school holidays and within days, the kids will be bored and looking for new things to do. Well, the next time they whine "I'm booooored", I'll be passing them a box of cereal and telling them to get creative ! Although these recipes, using the range of Nestlé cereals (which we just happen to have in the cupboard), look so much fun that I'll be getting involved too ! Let me know how you get on if you have a go. 

 

*******************************************

Spring into playtime with Cheerios Sheep and Easter Bunny!

Whether you prefer an Easter bunny or the little ones in the house want to make you a special bunch of flowers for a Mother’s Day treat, these recipes are an ideal solution to an afternoon in the house with the kids. Plus while they are busy having fun making these fun food-art creations, you can get on with the spring cleaning!

All recipes are made up of whole grain favourites such as Cheerios, Shredded Wheat, Shreddies and Oats & More, to count towards your 3 whole grains servings a day and are available to download at http://www.wholegrain.co.uk/. (There are a selection of recipes at the bottom of this blogpost but there are even more on the website.)

Now in its third year Team Whole Grain is made up of Zoe Ball, Matt Dawson, Greg Searle and independent nutritionist, Juliette Kellow, who, together, are encouraging busy families across Britain to be aware of the benefits of whole grain and to help increase their daily whole grain intake.

One of the nation’s favourite radio presenters and mum-of-two, Zoe, knows all about the importance of spending quality time with the kids. She says, “My son, Woody loves helping me out in the kitchen and we had so much fun making these recipes. The Easter Bunny was my favourite, and I made the beehive for a party - it was a real hit. I couldn’t believe how easy they were to make - it’s an easy way to start teaching the kids about cooking.”

Juliette Kellow is also on hand to make sure all the recipes fit in as part of a healthy balanced diet with both adults and children.

Juliette says, “These recipes all include Nestlé Whole Grain Cereal - there are so many amazing benefits to whole grain, yet they’re much overlooked. They’re an important part of our diets, providing fibre, protein and carbohydrates as well as some vitamins and minerals and I hope all the food art recipes will inspire mums and their kids to experiment with whole grain in an enjoyable and interesting way. I just couldn’t resist the Cheerios Spring fluffy sheep!”

Food artist, Prudence Staite says: “I’m really excited to be working with Team Whole Grain and helping families across Britain increase their whole grain in-take. The aim of the recipes is to illustrate just how easy it is to integrate whole grain into a family’s daily diet as well as have some fun at the same time. As they all incorporate Nestlé cereals, health conscious mums can be reassured that they’re not only healthy, but look and taste great too!”

Team Whole Grain is all about educating and helping mums to make small, realistic changes to their lifestyle to reach achievable goals. It’s the small things, like switching to whole grain cereals that make a difference to a healthy, happy family.

Recipes:

1. Honey Nut Shredded Wheat Easter Bunnies – Ideal for Easter!

Description: Hand sculpted Honey Nut Shredded Wheat bunnies, with a marshmallow tail, and currant eyes and nose.

Ingredients -Makes 6 - (Or 1 large bunny, as a centrepiece, you can add liquorice whiskers too!)

350g Honey Nut Shredded Wheat

150ml Condensed milk

125g Butter

60g Coconut

Currants

White Marshmallows

Method:

1) Place the Honey Nut Shredded Wheat in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin until broken into small pieces. Place crushed cereal into a bowl.

2) Place the butter and condensed milk into a microwavable bowl, and heat on medium until melted, mix together until combined, and add to cereal, and add the coconut and mix well. Leave to cool.

3) Using a tablespoon, form mixture onto the spoon to make 6 large ball shapes, and slide out from the spoon onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the using the teaspoon to make 6 smaller ball shapes. Mould the small ball onto the large ball, to form a bunny shape. Pinch the small ball to make 2 upright ear shapes.

4) Press the currants into the bunny head shape to form 2 eyes and a nose.

5) Chill for 1 hour until firm.

6) When firm, attach a marshmallow tail by dipping one side of the marshmallow into a little milk (use condensed if you have any left), and press firmly onto the bunny, to make the tail.

********************************************

2. Nestlé Cereal Flower Pops – Perfect for Mother’s Day

Description: Crunchy flower lollipops that are fun and simple to make.

Using a melon or pineapple to make a vase. The options are endless, one to really let the kids use their imagination. Flowers made on wooden skewers, with cereal petals and cereal or fruit centres.

Ingredients: Makes 12

200g dark chocolate

To decorate

Chose a variety of different Nestlé cereals to make your own designs – we used:

Shreddies, you can use a selection of Shreddies to add colour- Coco Shreddies, Frosted Shreddies, Honey Shreddies, Golden Nuggets, Nesquik, Cheerios, Honey Oats and More, Curiously Cinnamon

Glace cherries/ Strawberries

Method:

1) Break the dark chocolate into small pieces, and microwavable on medium in 20 seconds blasts, stirring every time, until melted, but not hot.

2) Using the teaspoon, make round pools of chocolate on the prepared baking sheet, and place the wooden skewers into the chocolate, at one end, twisting it to coat it and make secure.

3) While the chocolate is still set, press in your desired cereals to form petals and the flower centres; try to mix up the colours to make pretty coloured flowers.

4) Chill for 10 minutes, until set.

5) Peel the cereal flowers off the greaseproof paper.

6) Push the skewers into the melon to make a pretty centrepiece, or display the flowers by placing them into a glass. (You could fill the glass with pieces of fruit).

*****************************************

3. Cheerios Fluffy Sheep – A great Spring treat!

Description: Fluffy sheep made from Cheerios and marshmallow mixture, with black grape heads, and raisin legs.

Ingredients:

40g Butter

20 Large Marshmallows

160g Cheerios

40g Desiccated coconut

6 Black Grapes

50g Raisins

24 Currants

50g White Chocolate

Makes 6

Method:

1) Place the butter and the marshmallows in a microwavable bowl, and heat on high for 1 minute. Stir until smooth.

2) Stir in the Cheerios and until fully coated.

3) Using the tablespoons tightly form mounds of the mixture to make the bodies of the sheep. Slide onto prepared sheet or board. Dredge with coconut. Leave until firm.

4) To make the legs take half a cocktail stick and thread on raisins, repeat to make 24.

5) To assemble, push 4 legs into each body shape, stand upright, push in a half cocktail stick for the head and attach a grape to make the head.

6) Break the white chocolate into small pieces, and microwavable on medium in 20 seconds blasts, stirring every time, until melted, but not hot.

7) Use the melted chocolate to make 2 dots on each head to make the eyes and push in a currant to form the pupils. Use a little melted chocolate to attach 2 currants to make the ears.

8) Serve on a bed of green coloured coconut.

***************************************

Not all cereals contain whole grain but all Nestlé cereals do. The Nestlé Cereals range includes Shredded Wheat, Cheerios, Shreddies and Oats & More and many more are available from all major supermarkets. For more information on whole grain and handy hints to help you eat more whole grain you can visit http://www.wholegrain.co.uk/

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

Two Fab Easter Recipes from Splenda

Great kids recipe for Schwartz Easter Biscuits

Whitworth's Home Baking Products