"April Fool" Recipes from Grandma Marci

Here are some "April Fool" recipes that some Moms may enjoy using on their kids for an April Fool's Day surprise.  Tell the kids you will have a backwards dinner and start with "dessert" first. ;-)

"Spaghetti with Meatballs"

1 box devil's food cake mix

1 can vanilla frosting

1/2 can chocolate frosting

1/2 tsp cocoa powder

3 drops yellow food coloring

3/4 cup strawberry jam

grated white chocolate (optional)

Mix cake mix according to package directions. Bake at 350 degrees in two 8x8 square pans for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes, then take one of the cakes and crumble it in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 to 1/2 can of chocolate frosting and mix until well blended (using your hands is the most effective mixing method for this). Form doughy mixture into 1-inch balls (should make about 12-15 depending on the size of the balls). Place cake balls into the refrigerator. Allow the other cake to cool completely in the pan.

Mix cocoa and food coloring with the tub of vanilla frosting. Apply a thin layer of frosting to the cooled cake. Spoon remaining frosting into a gallon size heavy duty Ziploc freezer bag. Snip a small corner off the bag (be sure not to cut the hole too large). Pipe frosting over the cake in random swirly patterns to create the pile of noodles, covering as much as the surface as possible. Coat cake balls in the strawberry jam and place on the frosting "noodles". Spoon remaining jam over the cake. Top with grated white chocolate (to mimic parmesan cheese) if desired.

"Bundt Cake"

1 14 oz jar pizza sauce

1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled

1 pkg (3.5 oz) sliced pepperoni

3 cups biscuit baking mix

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

2 T butter, melted

1 tsp garlic salt 5-6 slices mozzarella cheese

In a bowl, combine the pizza sauce, sausage and pepperoni; set aside. In another bowl, combine the biscuit mix, milk, eggs, butter and garlic salt. Spread half of the batter on the bottom and up the sides of a greased 10-in bundt cake pan. Spoon meat mixture over batter. Cover with remaining batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Invert onto a baking sheet. Arrange cheese over cake. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Transfer cake to a serving platter and serve immediately.

"Red Punch"

Red Jello made in clear cups with straws went nicely with the dinner. It didn't take the older kids long to catch on, but the quints were hilarious to watch---they could not figure out why they couldn't drink the "punch"!

"Cupcakes"

If dinner is really dessert, it follows that dessert should really be dinner. These "cupcakes" were actually mini-meatloaves topped with garlic mashed potatoes.

Meatloaf:

1 1/2 lbs extra lean ground beef

1/2 cup crushed buttery round crackers

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 pkg onion soup mix

2 eggs

1/4 cup ketchup

2 T steak sauce

15 foil cupcake liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour onion soup mix through a strainer to sift out most of the powdery part (otherwise the meatloaf will be on the salty side) Stir the ground beef, crushed crackers, cheddar cheese and onion soup mix until well combined. Whisk the eggs, ketchup and steak sauce in a separate bowl until smooth. Mix the eggs into the meat until evenly combined. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Do not overcook.



Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5 lb potatoes, peeled, diced & boiled

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1 large clove of garlic finely diced

1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup butter

milk (as needed)

salt & pepper to taste
In a large bowl, combine everything EXCEPT milk. Mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Add a little milk (don't overdo it--mixture needs to be thicker than normal to hold it's shape) to create a creamy "frosting" like consistency. Spoon potatoes into a large gallon-size heavy duty plastic Ziploc bag. Cut off one corner and pipe potatoes on top of the meatloaves. Top with finely chopped red pepper "sprinkles" if desired.

These recipes were found at wokthedogpassthegravy.blogspot.com

Recipes from Jenny's Cousin Nichole

Here are a few more recipe options for the shower…I haven’t tried any of them, but I hear they are all crowd-pleasers!

Simple Foil Wrapped Lamb

8 oz (1 cup) boneless lamb, trimmed
1 zucchini/courgette, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 ripe tomato, chopped
pinch basil

Pre-heat oven to 350 deg F, 180 deg C.
Wrap all ingredients tightly in foil and seal.
Bake for about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours. 

Vegetable Cous Cous With Chicken Stock

8 oz (1 cup) pumpkin, diced, with skin and seeds removed
5 oz (2/3 cup) sweet potato, peeled and diced
5 oz (2/3 cup) carrots, peeled and sliced
2 oz (1/4 cup) fresh, shelled peas
4 oz (1/2 cup) courgette/zucchini, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 fl oz (1/2 cup) homemade chicken stock
4 fl oz (1/2 cup) water
2 tbsp cous cous
1 tbsp chopped, fresh parsley

Place all the vegetables into a saucepan.
Pour in the stock and water, cover and cook until vegetables are tender.
Remove from the heat and add the cous cous, stirring well.
Cover again and set the pan aside for a few minutes. This allows the cous cous to swell.
Finally, add the parsley.

Tropical Chicken Salad

2 oz (1/4 cup) cooked boneless chicken, chopped
2 tbsp cottage cheese
1 oz (1/8 cup) pineapple (you could use fresh or tinned, but try to look for fruit tinned in its' own juice, rather than in syrup)
1 oz (1/8 cup) ripe avocado
1 slice cucumber

Combine all ingredients.

Don’t they sound delicious!?! 

Of course, I’ve left off the last step of each one of the recipes where it says to mash or puree all of the ingredients.  You guessed it…they’re baby food recipes.  Is it wrong that reading through a bunch of baby food recipes made me hungry?  :-)

Eat Dessert First

What's a baby shower without cupcakes?  And two girls = twice the pink :)
This recipe was submitted by Aunt Becca - whose love of sugar knows no bounds.
Can't wait to meet those two sweet-as-sugar girlies this Spring!!

Double Pink Funfetti Cupcakes

Source

Recipe from: Your Cup of Cake

Yield: 30 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cake:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 egg whites

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pink jimmies

Strawberry Buttercream:

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons strawberry puree

1 tablespoon strawberry gelatin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4-5 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

2. Beat butter and sugar for 3 minutes, scrape bowl as needed.

3. Add egg whites one at a time on low until fully incorporated.

4. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.

5. Alternate adding buttermilk and the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture.

6. Mix in sour cream.

7. Fold in jimmies and fill liners 3/4 full.

8. Bake for 16-22 minutes, or until and inserted knife comes out clean.

9. Buttercream: Beat butter and cream cheese. Add strawberry puree, gelatin and vanilla extract. Slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

10. Pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes.

Baked French Toast Recipe

This went over so well at Jenny's bridal shower, Aunt Katie thought it would be fitting for her baby shower as well. Plus, her boys really like it.

Baked French Toast

1 loaf Crusty Sourdough or French Bread
8 whole eggs
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cups whipping (heavy) cream
3/4 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
fresh fruit (optional)



Grease 9/13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.
Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nutmeg if desired. Add putter pieces and cut into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.
When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. (If you're using fruit, sprinkle on before the crumb mixture.) Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.
Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.  Enjoy!