Crookshanks Meat Cakes

If you're an avid reader of the Harry Potter books, you know all about the unique abundance of food in the wizarding world. For just a few sickles (the equivalent of dollars) a witch or wizard can buy anything from jelly slugs to exploding bonbons. What we don't know is what do the pets at Hogwarts eat...

Think about it, each and every student at Hogwarts has a pet (either an owl, frog, cat, or rat), yet we never see any pet food! It's quite obvious to assume that the owls eat mice, but what about the rest of them? Not once does J.K. Rowling describe Hermione opening a can of wet cat food for her cat, Crookshanks. Part of me would like to imagine that wizarding pet food is just as extravagant and interesting as their owners food... which is why I have personally created a recipe based on simple ingredients Hermione would've been able to find at Diagon Alley... or any local supermarket. The best part is, it's cat and human friendly, meaning you can share this meal with your kitties while you watch the movies.

What you'll need:

3/4 cup of oatmeal

1/4 cup of chia seeds

1 egg

1/2 cup of chopped steamed broccoli

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef

1 tablespoon of sodium free soy sauce

1 splash of milk

Oliver Twist's Gruel

This recipe is going to have your family saying "please sir/ma'am, I want some more!" Even if you've never picked up a Dickens' novel, you know that line. Oliver Twist is a classic British movie and play which stars a young orphan boy who is fed gruel at the local parish workhouse.

Admittedly, gruel doesn't sound like a particularly delicious meal, but I pinky promise that this is the perfect breakfast meal for any day of the week! In fact, people throughout history have loved gruel. It was a staple meal among ancient Greek commoners, Aztecs in Mexico, Congee people in Asia, and now your family!


What you'll need:
1/3 cup of rolled oats
1 pint of water
1 pint of hot milk
1 teaspoon of salt

Directions:
1. Add salt to the water and bring it to a boil in the inner cup of a double broiler.
2. Stir in the rolled oats.
3. Boil for 2-3 minutes, then set inner cup in the outer cup of a double broiler which contains the boiling water. Leave it on low for three hours or longer.
4. Strain the oatmeal and add hot milk.


What I think is so cool about this is that you can make at night and simply reheat it in the morning when you're getting ready for school or work! According to Dickens, it's meant for peasants, but you and I know it tastes good enough for a king.

Bantha Milk AKA "Blue Milk"

Searching for "Star Wars" recipes online will yield some amazing results... Obi Wan kebabbi, cheese and Ham Solo sandwiches, even Jabba the humus, but I believe one of the most "far out" recipes is for bantha milk.

Bantha milk also known as "blue milk" or "Tatooine milk" is a sweet, blue colored liquid produced from a bantha's mammary glands. Let me side bar really quick to say that banthas are one of the cutest, most underrated creatures in the Star Wars universe. Okay, rant over. Anyways, bantha milk is seen or mentioned in every Star Wars movie and cartoon series and can be found on most planets across the galaxy!

To be honest, we don't really see Luke and Leia eat much during the 6+ movies. I've always wondered what the trio ate on Hoth considering there was barely any life there... Regardless, the idea of blue milk is quite intriguing. I don't know if my brain can process the idea of a colored milk. I guess we're going to find out!

What you'll need (for one cup):
1 cup of vanilla soy milk
1/2 teaspoon of unsweetened blue fruit punch mix
1 tablespoon of sugar

Directions:
Stir all the ingredients together and take a sip!





Sure, you could just put blue food coloring in a cup of milk, but where's the fun in that!?

The thing I love about this recipe is that it's very sweet, but still drinkable. Plus, it's super quick to throw together and will please jedi's of any age!

Enjoy and may the force food be with you...

The Very "Yummy" Caterpillar

If you remember your childhood or have a child of your own, you probably know the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It was one of my favorites as a kid! 

The story follows a teeny tiny caterpillar who eats a ton of food and eventually turns into a beautiful butterfly. I can relate to this story on many levels. 1) I was a pudgy kid who eventually blossomed into adulthood and 2) I love to eat... chances are you do too if you're reading this blog. 

Let's turn our favorite children's book character into a delicious snack both kids and adults will enjoy! These Very Hungry Caterpillar sandwiches takes just 20 minutes to prepare and don't need to be cooked at all! (perfect for kids of all ages to help out with!)




What you'll need:
1 medium carrots or 1 medium green pepper
6 spinach tortillas (7-8 inches)
3/4 cup peanut butter or 3/4 cup cream cheese
1/3 cup grape jelly or 1/3 cup strawberry jelly
6 cherry tomatoes
cheddar cheese






Directions:
1. Use a vegetable peeler to peel carrots, Use a sharp knife to cut carrot crosswise into fourths. Cut 1-inch matchstick pieces of carrot or pepper (you should have 48 sticks).
2. Use a table knife to spread each tortilla with 2 tablespoons of the peanut butter or cream cheese and about 1 tablespoon of the jelly. Roll up tortillas to form spirals; press lightly to seal.
3. Put the rolled tortillas on a cutting board. Cut each tortilla crosswise into five pieces.
4. On each of the six plates, arrange five tortillas pieces side to side, in a wavy line, with cut side down to resemble a caterpillar. To make a caterpillar head put a tomato at the end and insert pieces of cheddar cheese in tomato for antennae. To make legs, arrange four carrot sticks on each side of caterpillar. Tada!

My niece is in love with these! She's just learning how to read and really enjoys being able to eat "the character" while she reads about him. I don't know if that's cute or morbid... either way, it makes reading fun!

This recipe was inspired by food.com

Luna Lovegood's Pudding

If you're anything like me, you've read the Harry Potter books, watched all the movies, and maybe even dressed up as a wizard a time or two. There's no doubt that Harry Potter is one of the most loved book series in the past few decades, but let's take your "Potterhead" addiction to a whole new delicious level!

Sure there's the main trio, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but my favorite character has always been Luna Lovegood. There's something about her innocence, loyalty, and sweet-tooth that connects with me. She may be one of the most underrated characters in the whole series! Who is always there to listen to someone's troubles? Luna. Who never takes revenge on the people who bully her? Luna. Who is constantly looking for pudding? You guessed it, Luna!

Although in England the term "pudding" means a general dessert, I still like to imagine Luna hoping and praying for a pink, whipped (American) pudding in Order of the Phoenix.
With that being said, here is my recipe for loony Luna's pudding!

What you'll need:

pudding base:

10 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

5 cups low fat milk

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons butter

1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract

whipped cream:

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups strawberries, diced

2 cups blueberries, diced

1 store bought pound cake, cubed into ½ inch pieces

professional grade pink food coloring

optional:

edible glitter

Directions:

1. Place sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk into a small saucepan, whisk and bring to a simmer.

2. Stir until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

3. Whisk a small amount of the milk mixture into the beaten yolks and whisk the mixture back into the hot milk mixture.

4. Whisk until the pudding is just thick enough to sit onto top of itself.

5. Stir in the butter and vanilla until fully combined.

6. Push the pudding through a fine sieve strainer and set aside to cool.

7. While the pudding cools, place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.

8. Pour the pudding into a bowl and stir the strawberries and a few drops of pink food coloring.

9. Stir together until fully combined.

10. Pour the strawberry pudding mixture into the bottom of the trifle dish and level off until smooth.

11. Next, layer ½ the cubed pound cake over the pudding and top with ½ of whipped cream.

12. Pour more of the pudding over the whipped cream and top with remaining pound cake and whipped cream.

13. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

14. Finish with edible glitter, if desired and serve.

I took mine to a Harry Potter themed picnic in San Francisco, and everyone loved it! The recipe is so light and fluffy, I could've eaten the whole bowl!

This recipe was inspired by SpoonForkBacon.com