A homemade hot chocolate mixture is delicious and natural-containing only cocoa, sugar, and salt-and especially economical, compared with store-bought mixes. This mix will keep all winter if stored in an airtight container. A dollop of fresh whipped cream is a perfect complement to a mug of cocoa, but you can also add a pinch of cinnamon for Mexican hot chocolate or a candy cane for a taste of mint.

Making monkey bread lets kids do what they do best -- play with their food -- while they create something yummy.

Serve kids eggnog, jazzed up with peppermint extract, in candy-rimmed mugs.

Here's a potion kids are sure to love. Among the ingredients are cinnamon candies that give it zing.

What's brown and white and delicious all over? Chocolate cookies with secret marshmallow centers.

Chocolate pudding is fun to eat -- just try to lick it off a spoon without smiling. It is also gloriously uncomplicated to make. Our pudding recipe is simple, straightforward, and short. You won't need any fancy equipment, just a talent for stirring.

Just because a food is a classic doesn't mean it can't be reinvented for kids. Burgers made with ground turkey are leaner than their beefy cousins, but sometimes they can be dry. Using all dark-meat turkey keeps the burgers juicy and flavorful.

These cool, healthy drinks that kids can make are almost as sweet as vacation. Fabulous garnishes make them even more irresistible.

Happy times with kids call for cheerful cupcakes. Easier to serve than cake, cupcakes require no slicing, no plates, and no forks -- and every child gets her fair share of icing.

Cones filled with marshmallow-almond popcorn stand in a paper-wrapped aluminum-foil box with small holes. Paper cherries glued to a toothpick form the price tag.

Older children can use their hand to outline the cookies, drawing around it on the dough with a skewer and using a knife tip to cut along the line. If your child can't participate, make a pattern from a manila folder. Translucent parchment works well for the heart stencil; it will allow you to see the shape of the cookie through it.

Long ago, a few plain loaves -- overshadowed by some popular, unhealthy snacks -- were banished to a bread box. Then, one day a mysterious but kind kid took them under his wing: He spread the Earth's freshest ingredients on the bread, giving it magical, flavorful powers.

When kids make their own tortilla chips, they get to pick the flavor and shape (and you can monitor the ingredients). Brush whole tortillas with melted butter blended with cheese, lemon and herbs, or cinnamon sugar, then cut with a knife or cookie cutters. Once they're baked, package in snack-size bags.

Breaded fish sticks are a surefire kid-pleaser nestled inside a flour tortilla with sweet red pepper; serve with tartar sauce.

Breed gummy worms in ice and infest a cold drink. Put the worms in an ice-cube tray, letting them stick out of the top and sprawl over the edges, and fill tray with water; freeze. Add cubes to a clear beverage, and watch as kids squirm with delight.

Our snowman is made of vanilla ice cream rolled in coconut. His eyes, mouth, and buttons are licorice candies, his carrot nose marzipan, and his hat a toasted marshmallow atop a chocolate cookie.

The sunlit colors of these pops come from combinations of fruit flavors: lemon, cranberry, orange, cantaloupe. One stripe is frozen before the next is added.

A mountain of store-bought vanilla ice cream can be dipped and double-dipped in rich chocolate to your heart's content. Here, nonpareils are clustered at the chilly summit, but these pops could also be dressed up in chopped nuts, coconut, or crushed cookies or candies.

Homemade peanut butter-swirl ice cream is the star of this take on a perennial favorite. Graham crackers are covered with a layer of strawberry jam before the ice cream is sandwiched between them. Chopped peanuts can be pressed into the sides for those who like a bit of crunch

There are plenty of traditional ways to decorate baked goods, but many kids will prefer a more modern approach.

Powered by candle fuel, little cars with cereal wheels wend their way to the party past hand-drawn street signs and gumdrop trees (their trunks are toothpicks). For hills, cut a wavy diagonal line in cooled mix; stand on serving tray. Top with taffy strips; press fringed glassine "grass" to sides.

Kids will be happy to make and eat these veggies parading as sushi.

Call kids before serving soup to pipe the poka-dots onto the servings. 

 

Even young kids can create these adorable designs -- Xs, Os, and hearts of cinnamon candies. Just don't be surprised if classmates use the hugs and kisses for a game of tic-tac-toe.

Ask kids why they love lasagna so much, and they'll probably say "the stretchy cheese!" What they may not realize is that lasagna is easy and fun to make. Try preparing this updated version of the dish, with its quickly made meat sauce and convenient no-boil noodles at home with your kids.

This savory "cake" is packed with pasta, meaty tomato sauce, and cheese. It holds its shape thanks to a springform pan.

A pancake breakfast is always a treat, but all the more so when a parent and kid cook it up together. Pancake batter is fun to make from scratch, and it calls for ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Need an easy dessert? Kids can come to the rescue, making a delicious dessert for the whole family without ever having to ask their parents to turn on the oven.

Our recipe is so simple that kids can do most of the work themselves. The steps move along quickly, so read the recipe carefully before starting and have all the tools and ingredients ready.