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I’m usually not one to make cutesy recipes.  I’m just not that creative.  Plus I am optimistic (dumb?) enough to expect that kids might eat food that simply tastes good.  Yes, I have heard that people eat with their eyes first.  That doesn’t mean that I make ugly food (at least not on purpose).  I just don’t usually put in an extra effort to make it adorable.

That said, kids do appreciate a little extra effort in the food department.  Whether I give it a cool name or tell a story about where it comes from, kids seem to be more interested in giving it a try.  In my cooking classes for kids, I have fun themes for our classes.  We have eaten our way around the world, have cooked recipes from our favorite books and movies, and next fall we will have a zoo in the kitchen.  Not literally, but in name only.  My kids, in particular, love animals.  Instead of taking ordinary foods and making them into animal shapes, I decided to give slight changes to the names of food, so that they have animal-themed names instead.

You may be thinking, “Hey lady!  I have no idea what the heck you are talking about…”  So, here are a few fun animal-themed recipes (for regular foods) that you can cook with your kids.

• Quack-a-mole (guacamole)
• Monkey Lime Pie (key lime pie)
• Sheep-herd’s Pie (shepherd’s pie)
• Goose-pacho (gazpacho)
• Toad in a Hole
• Pigs in a Blanket

Although I usually don’t make “adorable” food, here is a really fun recipe that my preschool cooking students love.  Who can resist a tuna sandwich when it is shaped like a whale?

Whale Sandwich

Ingredients per child:
1 whole wheat mini bagel
1 string cheese
tuna, mixed with mayonnaise or plain yogurt
1 leaf of lettuce
2 black olives
1 teaspoon hummus
2 slices of cheese (cheddar, jack, swiss or provolone)

1. In a bowl, mix tuna with mayonnaise or plain no-fat yogurt.  Set aside.
2. Slice bagel in half.
3. On one half of the bagel, spread tuna and top with lettuce.
4. Before putting on the top half of the bagel, lay two slices of cheese on top of the lettuce so they stick out the sides, like whale flippers.
5. Now, put on the top half of the bagel to hold the flippers in place.
6. Open the string cheese and peel some of the cheese down from the edges, as if you were peeling a banana.
7. Place the string cheese “spout” inside the hole of the bagel, so it sticks out like a whale spout.
8. Use an egg slicer to cut your olive into round pieces.
9. Use hummus as “glue” to stick the olive slices to the front of your whale to make eyes.
10. Enjoy eating your Whale Sandwich!