Fourth of July Fun in the Kitchen

Give your kids some independence in the kitchen this Fourth of July with these easy to make patriotic snacks.

Fourth of July Salad
You will need raspberries, blueberries and vanilla yogurt.

Combine raspberries, blueberries and vanilla yogurt in a small bowl. Mix and serve.

Flag Snacks
You will need graham crackers, white frosting, three small containers, red and blue food coloring and small plastic knives.

Divide white frosting equally into three small containers. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one container and a few drops of blue food coloring to another. Mix well. Show your toddlers how to use a small plastic knife or Popsicle stick to spread the colored frosting onto graham crackers.

Old Glory Cookies
You will need half a of soft butter, half a cup of powdered sugar, 3/4 a teaspoon of vanilla, one cup of flour and red and blue food coloring.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until the mixture is creamy. Beat in the flour to make a smooth dough.

Divide the dough into three equal portions. Put each of two portions into a separate small bowl. Have your child add five drops of red food coloring to one and five drops of blue food coloring to the other, then work the food coloring into the dough with a fork until it's evenly blended. Add more food coloring if you want deeper colors.

Have your child divide each portion of dough into three pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Then help her flatten the balls and stack them, alternating colors. Roll the dough into a log eight inches long.

Use a knife to slice the log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. (If the log is too soft, refrigerate it for about 30 minutes). Bake the cookies on ungreased baking sheets for about ten minutes.

"Kids will enjoy helping out in the kitchen," says Trish Kuffner, author of the "Busy Book" series (Meadowbrook Press). "These snacks are delicious and festive."

Author: FeatureSource staff