I don't know if you have noticed this about me yet or not, but aside from my faith, my family is the most important thing to me. Studhubs and I have no children of our own so on the day I found out I was going to be an aunt, I committed, within myself, to be the best aunt ever! That being the case, when my brother calls and says "Do you want your niece for the night?" My answer is "What time do we pick her up?"
Meet Cianah Jo!
She is my beautiful, wild, free spirited, 3 year old niece!
She doesn't have a care in the world and is crazy about life!
She knows that whenever she comes to Aunt Mandee's house cooking is on the agenda!
As you can see that before her mom and dad were even out the door, she had her stool by the cabinet, asking what we were cooking!?! *lol*
I told her we were having "Mini hotdog muffins, homemade fries, and broccoli with cheese."
She replied "Well, we got a lot of work to do so let's get crackin'!" (See what I mean? She's a riot!)
I asked her if she wanted to be on my website and she said "As long as I get to do everything."
So keep in mind, these won't be the prettiest muffins you have every seen, but then again, that is not what cooking with your kids is about. :)
So here they are, without any further delay...
Cianah Jo's Mini Corn Dog Muffins:
*Prep Time: 10 Minutes *Cook Time: 15 minutes *Difficulty: Easy *Servings: Approx. 40 muffins
Ingredients:
Tools:
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Whisk
- Pairing Knife
- 3 12 ct. Mini Muffin Pans
- Mini Scoop
Now, as is common with MOST baking, you would mix your dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet in another. HOWEVER, in cooking with a three year old, things happen. Listen, this is not the end of the world. You are making memories here, not cooking for Mario Batali.
Everything will be fine. :)
So, with that being said...please excuse the fact that we, i.e. she, mixed all ingredients in one bowl. *lol*
Mix the corn meal, flour, and salt in one bowl.
In a separate bowl, add the sugar, buttermilk, milk, and...
egg.
To the wet ingredients, add the baking powder
and baking soda.
Stir the wet into the dry.
Then add the melted shortening, stirring continuously.
Now it is time to prepare the hot dogs.
As you can see, I let Cianah Jo cut her own hot dogs.
I was right there, and NOTHING was going to happen to her on my watch.
I talked to her about the right way to do things, and the importance of being careful and safe. Obviously, you need to use your best judgment when exposing your children to knives in the kitchen. (My name is Mandee Pogue and I approve this message)
Then, fill each greased muffin cup half way full of batter, and place
your hot dog chunk in it.
If you are making these with a three year old, who is doing most of the work,
it will look something like this. :)
 |
| See what I mean, they ain't pretty. *LOL* |
Bake them in a 425 degree oven for 12-15 minutes
until golden brown.
You could also add a little cheese to the batter for a cheesy rendition of this recipe.
I didn't, because we were having cheese sauce with our broccoli (which Cianah also made!).
I chose this meal because kids LOVE corn dogs, but these are so much healthier! They are baked, not fried, I used a turkey hot dog, and they are homemade I know exactly what is in them!
I don't have to worry about all the preservative that are in our processed foods.
It was the first TRULY gorgeous day we have had this Spring so...
We decided to head outside to pick flowers,
Play with the dogs,
Pose for pictures,
See what interesting things we could find in the field by the house,
And play in the mud holes!
As the sun began to set, we decided to light up the fire pit for the first time this season and...
Roast marshmallows!
Cianah thought she was pretty hot stuff roasting hers all by herself!
She didn't mind getting messy while eating them either! *lol*
Uncle John showed us that he could fit a giant roasted marshmallow into is mouth in one go too!
Uncle John is a little different sometimes, but we love him! :)
And at the end of the night, while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, she totally crashed in the arm chair!
Yes, I would said that this was one really great day!
Again, John and I don't have toys at our house. We aren't about taking them to every trendy kid spot in our town. We want to make memories with them and the kitchen, whether it is indoors or out, is a great and inexpensive place to do that! I encourage you, on your day off, on the weekends, or everyday, to get your kids in the kitchens with you! 20 years from now they won't remember what was on television, what Barbie you bought them, or what was happening at Chuck-E-Cheese. I speak from experience, that they WILL remember nearly every precious moment in the kitchen with you!
Now get out there and make memories!
And as always...
Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~
Cianah Jo's Mini Corn Dog Muffins:
*Prep Time: 10 Minutes *Cook Time: 15 minutes *Difficulty: Easy *Servings: Approx. 40 muffins
Ingredients:
- 1/4 c. Shortening, melted
- 1 c. Yellow Cornmeal
- 1/2 c. Flour
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 c. Buttermilk
- 1/2 c. Milk
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp. sugar1 tbsp. Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 5 Hot Dogs, diced
Tools:
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Whisk
- Pairing Knife
- 3 12 ct. Mini Muffin Pans
- Mini Scoop
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl, combine corn meal, flour, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, combine sugar, buttermilk, milk, and egg.
- Add baking powder and baking soda to the wet ingredients.
- Stir into the dry ingredients.
- Add ¼ cup melted shortening, slightly cooled, stirring constantly.
- Grease muffin tins and fill them half full with batter.
- Cut a hot dog into pieces, and place one piece in each cup.
- Bake about 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and serve with ketchup and mustard!
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