Kids Party Food-Childrens Party Games

Edible Finger Paint I (Toddlers-Kindergarten/1-5 years)

 

What is required for this Kids Party Food:

• Canned beets

• Frozen carrots

• Canned sweet potatoes

• Frozen spinach

• Frozen blueberries

• Frozen strawberries

• Apple or White Grape Juice

• Mini chopper, food processor or blender

 

Preparation Instructions:

 

Drain or strain the liquid off all the canned items and set aside in separate bowls. Thaw all the frozen items and drain or strain any excess liquid and place each in a separate bowl.

 

Take each separate ingredient and blend them until it makes a puree. If it needs to be thinner, add a little apple juice or white grape juice at a time.

 

Tip: If you don’t want to completely wash out the blender or processor, fine. Just start with the lightest ingredient, then do blueberries, then beets and last, the frozen spinach.

 

If you want to make the edible paints sparkle, check your local cake supply, or cake decorating shop, or the craft section in major stores. Look for the edible glitter. Mix a small pinch in with the paint as a little goes a long way. This can be saved for a week, covered. Or, it can be frozen for a month.

 

Also, if you want the paints to be smoother, strain the puree to get the colored liquid without the chunks of food. Another way to enhance the edible finger paint is with a Thickener. The recipe is as follows:

 

Thickener

 

Ingredients:

• Cornstarch, Arrowroot flour or Tapioca Flour

• Water for the cornstarch, or clear juice for the Arrowroot or Tapioca flour

• Medium saucepot

• Whisk

• Wooden spoon

 

Preparation Instructions:

 

(Cornstarch is the most readily available. Arrowroot and Tapioca flour can be found down the nutritional or diet aisle of most grocery stores and are a bit more stable in acidic sauces and mixtures. So you can use your own discretion when choosing the starch)

 

The ratio is 1:1, or 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to one cup of water. The same ratio applies if you choose arrowroot or tapioca powder.

 

Pour the cornstarch in a small bowl and add a tablespoon of the water and stir to make a paste. Slowly add another tablespoon until it becomes thin enough to pour and has no clumps.

If you don’t get the clumps out before you cook it, you will either have to strain the mixture or live with those clumps.

 

Next, add the cornstarch mixture to the rest of the liquid and pour in the saucepot and place on a medium flame.

 

Continue stirring or whisking until it begins to come to a low boil. It may seem like it will never thicken but watch carefully, as it goes from complete liquid to a thick sauce in mere seconds. Once it starts to thicken, you may want to only use the whisk and as soon as it resembles the consistency of pudding and is no longer runny, it is done.

 

Immediately remove from heat and allow to cool or you can add a tablespoon at a time to the edible paints to add a thicker consistency. If you opted for the arrowroot or tapioca, you may notice that it has a nice glossy appearance.