If i am being perfectly honest with you these little Croissant Crabs were borne of desperation after a solid week of fussy toddler eating and flat out food refusal.
It's probably not mother of the year stuff to admit that i am really not loving feeding my kids at the moment. Some days it truly has me at the brink, some days i really just want to give up and give them toast every night…and other days my Mummy determination wins out and i get to enjoy that magical moment when they actually EAT and ENJOY (well seemingly but i will take it!) something i have cooked for them!
Even better is when it is such a simple little food to prepare and also keep in the freezer… (as there will be more of those ‘I don't want to cook something just for them to reject it' nights i know!)
On this particular night i took a few leftovers, added some puff pastry and a little novelty and for some reason all the planets aligned and they were eaten.
Here's how to make them….i hope they prove successful for you too!
- Lay the sheets on a flat surface to defrost slightly
- While frozen..Divide each large square into 4 smaller squares
- You then divide each small square into 2 triangles as shown below
For the Filling you will need….
1/2 Cup diced ham, bacon or chicken (or leave out if you prefer vegetarian)
1/2 Cup grated Zucchini
1/4 Cup grated pumpkin
1 small tin creamed corn (or you could use corn kernels but my girls won't eat them as yet)
1/4 cup drained brown lentils (I use from the can but you could of course use your own)
1Tblsp Parmesan cheese
1/2 Cup grated tasty cheese
A sprinkling of any herbs your little one tolerates…i used basil and a little paprika!
A little knob of butter or some olive oil for frying.
I placed some sultanas for eyes just before serving to add to the novelty factor and hopefully entice the little food critics!
I had to tell them that their favourite bacon and lentils were in there before they would try them though. This is my tactic when trying out a new food. Because Ruby (and also Tara to some degree) is so sensitive to smell and texture, having a familiar ingredient they can smell and see allows them to be a little bolder in their exploration of the new food!
They wouldn't do a chef proud but i think they are quite cute and they did manage to get some protein and vegetables into the toddler twosome neatly disguised as fun food!
Do let me know if you try them with a different filling…perhaps i can give it a try to!
I'm really hoping i am not the only one who wishes their toddler could just get their own dinner for even one night out of the week….or perhaps just eat what i cook for one night of the week 😉
Warm Wishes
I cant imagine how hard it is for you to get your girls to eat dinner, I think you are doing a brilliant job and must be very patient!!!!
I get that feeling too, and my girls are actually pretty good about eating.
I love the idea that one day they will be big enough to make their own dinner one night per week. Weetbix, toast, icecream… whatever we have will be fair game. (It will be impetus to keep only reasonable food in the house!)
One day at a time, one day at a time…
These look like great fun, and tasty! Well done Jode 🙂 And last week I did feed my kids crumpets with jam for dinner, lol!
These are adorable. Wonder if my kiddos would try them. May have to give it a try! Thanks!
So cute.
I feel for you. I don’t know how I’d cope with fussy eaters. I have problems at the other end of the spectrum. My kids (even my 6 mo) love food too much. I can’t seem to satisfy them. They’re always ‘hungry’ and always asking for food. Ike is just having 4-6 teaspoons of mush at the moment, but when that’s gone, it takes me a good 1/2 hour to calm him down- he he!
The joys of feeding out children.
I have one fussy eater and one big eater. They’d both love there though! Hannah@paint on the ceiling 🙂
What a great idea! I am going to make these for playgroup and add garden peas – YUM