Fredericksburg Parent

8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • October 2024 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 veg- gies and grapes to try to entice him to eat well, or design- ing 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. WRITTEN BY DEBRA CAFFREY practical pantry The The "Shamburger" "Shamburger" Snack Snack 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!

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