Brain Jello Halloween Fun

Halloween is just around the corner, which meant that it was time to bust out the brain mold and get busy making some slimy, bloody, gooey, delicious brain jello....

Boy, my kids were excited when they found out that we were going to make and EAT some brain (I know that sounds kind of nasty....hahaha...)

All you need to do is follow the instructions on the box to make the jello, and instead of putting it in your usual molds, let the Jello set in your awesome brain mold.

In case you are wondering why there is a piece of tape on my brain mold, a while back my kids decided that it was a good idea to use the mold as a stepping stool (not a good idea) and it ended up cracking the mold a little.....hahaha....

After the jello has set in the fridge, flip it over onto a plate and try to get it out of the mold if you can. Or you could just "eat the brains out" of the bowl if you want.

I learned the hard way that it was probably a good idea to use some cooking spray before pouring the Jello liquid into the mold.

Here is one of my very enthusiastic brain surgeon-SLASH-'brain'ivore who just couldn't wait to dig into the Jello brain :)

Pumpkin Apple Fritters - Delicious and Nutritious Snacks for Picky Toddlers

The other day we finally got a chance to harvest what was left of our apple tree.
I say "what was left" because this year there wasn't much left to pick, since a certain 2 and 4 year old kept snacking on the green apples all summer long....hahaha....

Oh well, at least they are learning a thing or two about growing your own food and eating it, mainly the eating part 😛.

I was trying to figure out what recipe to use them in, when I came up with the idea of making fried doughnut balls. This is a perfect snack recipe for picky toddlers and adult because who doesn't like doughnuts??? I can already picture myself making these again and enjoying it with the family on a chilly fall evening with some hot chocolate 😁.

To make this recipe, you start by preheating the frying oil. I usually get this started first because it takes a while for the oil to get all heated up. You can use an electric fryer such as the Hamilton Beach deep fryer, or any other method of your choice for deep frying.

Next, mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, and add the eggs, milk, oil, and chopped apples.

Once the oil is heated up, drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes on one side before flipping the fritters over and letting the other side fry for a few more minutes until golden brown on both sides.

Once the fritters are cooked, you can either toss them in cinnamon sugar while they are still warm or eat them as is.

The first time I made these pumpkin apple fritters the bowl was empty so fast, because the boys were so excited to eat doughnuts. These really are awesome snacks for picky toddlers to get more veggies into their system without them knowing it :P

Pumpkin Apple Fritters - Delicious and Nutritious Snacks for Picky Toddlers

1 and 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin powder

2 eggs

2/3 cups milk

1 cup chopped apples

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the eggs, milk, and apples. Stir until combined. Drop by the spoonful into heated oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on one side. Flip and fry on the other side for a few more minutes until golden brown throughout. Toss in cinnamon sugar or serve as is.

Here is the printable version of the recipe.

Pumpkin Blueberry Pancakes - Perfect Fall Recipe for Picky Eaters

Can I just say that I LOVE the fall season. All the different Fall activities to do with your kids, beautiful leaves, nice cool weather to replace the extreme heat of summer, and most importantly all the wonderful Fall/holiday foods to make and enjoy with your family.

Another reason why I love Fall is the many opportunities we could get creative with recipes for picky eaters. I mean, when else can you go crazy with all kinds of pumpkin recipes? 😃

This pancake recipe I am sharing today is super duper fast and easy to make, with only 3 ingredients needed: pancake mix, pumpkin powder, and milk.

(Check out my previous post about how to make home made pumpkin powder. It's a great recipe for picky eaters and I absolutely love having it on hand for whenever I need to add some extra veggies into my recipes).

I happened to have some Krusteaz Blueberry Pancake mix  in my pantry, so that's what I used this time around, but you can use any kind of pancake mix you happen to have.
You could also use water or any type of non-dairy milk to replace the dairy milk.

All you have to do is mix all three ingredients in a bowl, let sit for a few minutes, and fry em up in a buttered pan as you normally would make your pancakes.

You can serve them with any pancake condiments of your choice or just eat them as is (my kids' favorite way of eating pancakes)

Pumpkin Blueberry Pancakes - Perfect Fall Recipe for Picky Eaters

2 cups Krusteaz blueberry pancake mix

1 and 1/3 cup milk

1 tsp pumpkin powder

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Let the batter sit for a few minutes. Heat some butter in a pan and fry as you would usually fry pancakes. Serve with your favorite pancake condiments or eat as is.

Here is a printable version of the recipe. 

These are my little pancake monsters gobbling up some pumpkin blueberry pancakes:

For some variety of vegetables and nutrition, you can use other veggie powders in place of pumpkin powder such as carrot powder, or any greens powder of your choice such as this super greens powder.