Octopus Cupcakes

I discovered this cute idea for octopus cupcakes on FamilyFun.com. So I brought home the book Good Thing Your Not an Octopus by Julie Markes from the library. Zaid just loved the book! So then we proceeded to make our octopus cupcakes. First, we made our cupcakes from a cake mix. I used chocolate cake mix, but you can use any kind you like. Previously in the day Zaid went grocery shopping with me and we got special Cars cupcake liners:) Zaid thought this was neat to be using them and placing them in the cupcake pan. Next Amira and Zaid each got to spoon in the cake mix into the cupcake liners. I had them use an ice cream scoop. I find that it is a lot easier for kids to scoop up the cake mix and plop them in the liners than using a spoon, less spills. Zaid absolutely loved this part. He even got some cake mix on his hand and ignored it and kept on going scooping the cake mix. I was pretty amazed. Next after the cupcakes have baked and cooled we frosted our cupcakes. Zaid did some and then got some frosting on his hand and said that his cupcake was done. So I finished frosting his cupcake. The kids each placed a blow pop in the center of the cupcake for the octopus's head. Note, you will need to cut the blow pop stick in half first in order for it to fit the cupcake. Then we used chocolate chips for the eyes. I had the dip the chocolate chip in the frosting for Zaid and then put it on the plate and had him pick it up and place it on the octopus. Then for the legs, you are suppose to use gummy worms, but I didn't have any so we used fruit roll ups. We was very difficult for mommy to have to peel and roll. I highly recommend using the gummy worms. Zaid and Amira then placed the fruit roll ups on the cupcakes for the octopus's legs. I also asked Amira how many legs o tentacles does an octopus have and had her count her octopus legs till we had the right number. A little math lesson thrown in there:) During this process, one of Zaid's octopus legs fell off. So I told him just place it back. He eyed the frosted cupcake and shook his head no. "You do it." I said but your octopus is missing a leg in a playful manner. I said just pick it up and put it on the cupcake like the other legs. So to my delight he pick it up and put it on the octopus. Then I said we are all done now. Do you want to eat yours? Zaid said no. Amira said yes, but without the candy. So she dissected her octopus till all was left but a plain frosted cupcake LOL. Amira does not like any candy, but now she is eating cake with frosting. There was a time when she like Zaid was extremely limited and would not eat cake, much less cake with frosting! So while Amira was eating her cupake Zaid asked to frost the other cupcakes. Which really surprised me since earlier, when the frosting got on his hands he wanted to stop. So I said sure and he frosted the cupcakes and I mean frosted them. He put so much on I had to tell him really that is enough. So all in all it was a success.

Octopus Cupcake ingredients

One box cake mix

Frosting

Blow pops

Chocolate chips

Gummy worms

Beach Scene

Today, we read a book about going to the beach. So I decided that we could create our own beach scene using food.

ingredients

graham crackers,

white frosting

blue food coloring

gummy fish

rolo candy

round nerd candy

fruit roll up

Umbrellas found in cocktail drinks

I started by placing a graham cracker in a Ziplock bag and having the kids crush the graham cracker using a rolling pin. Zaid loved this part. Next we spread on white frost on one half of a graham cracker. Then I took some white frosting and let the kids add in the blue food coloring and had them stir it up. Zaid also enjoyed adding the frosting. Then we spread the blue frosting on the other half of the graham cracker to create an ocean. Zaid really didn't have a problem with this; if some got on his fingers I let him wipe them off with a paper towel. Next we took our crushed graham crackers and sprinkled them on the graham cracker that had the white frosting to create the beach. Before I gave them the candy to make the scene I had them tell me what they would find on a beach. Next we took the gummy fish and placed them in the blue frosting, it wasn't very proportionate, so we called them whales instead of fish:) Then I had them take some nerd candy and place them in the "sand" for a beach ball. Next I gave them each a fruit roll up and said let's see what color we get. I opened Zaid's fruit roll up and had him smell it. Then I broke off a piece and let them place their "beach towel" on the sand. I also gave them each a rolo to place as a sand castle. We also had little umbrella's that you get in drinks and that really made the beach scene. In the end they came out nice. Zaid didn't want to eat his, but Amira wanted to each the graham cracker without any of the candy lol. She still doesn't like candy, but I am not complaining:)

Zaid held a piece of pizza

We had a mini break through the other day. Usually, when we order pizza, Zaid will always say that he wants a piece of pizza. Most of the times he just looks at it and says that he doesn't want it. But the other day, Zaid picked up his piece of pizza and brought it to his mouth. It never touched his mouth and he didn't bite it. But just the fact that he held it is so amazing. I hope this is the start of something!