Having gotten bored cooking really good meals for 5 weeks with me and DH (and two cats who think that this time is just for petting them), I decided to find some fun foods to make. Would you post some too so we can all smile?

The first is: Jalapeno Egg Roll Poppers. Lay out 2 egg roll wrappers, cut each into 4 pieces. Put 1/2 teaspoon cream cheese diagonally off center, sprinkle with minced jalapenos, roll up like a burrito. Fry in veg oil turning with a soup spoon (easier than tongs). It really only takes a few minutes! Let cool a little as the insides will be very hot. Serve with/without hot salsa and beer!

The second is: roasted cauliflower steaks. Brush huge slices (cut vertically 3/4" thick) of cauliflower with olive oil mixed with minced garlic, and some lemon juice, salt. Bake in 400F 15 minutes, turn, brush again and bake 15-20 minutes more until toasty. Option: sprinkle with Parmesan or mozzarella and bake 2 minutes more. Those pieces that weren't big enough to make steaks make a really different cauliflower cornmeal muffin. (I call them hidden-vegetable muffins.)

The third is: Art eggs. Whisk up as many eggs as you would like (I use 4) and put in a squeeze bottle. Draw designs on hot griddle to light brown, turn, cook until light brown on other side. Ideas include lace hearts, his/her name, palm trees, boats, butterflies, cuss words. Option: do the same thing with pancake batter!

The fourth is: Crack Toffee. Lay out saltines, Ritz, or graham crackers on foil lined/PAM sprayed or silicone covered sheet pan. BTB a cup of brown sugar and a cup of butter cook 3 minutes on low heat. Pour over crackers. Chill a bit to set. Drizzle heavily (too thick to spread) with 2C melted chocolate chips (micro) and sprinkle with chopped nuts or sprinkles. Chill to set, break into pieces. Option: Dip in red wine.

The fifth is: still frozen garden peas mixed with mayonnaise, a little sour cream and a splash of vinegar. Toss with strings of chopped red onion (optional and not for me) and chill 4 to 6 hours. I don't usually like peas but this is so tasty I eat a good portion.

The sixth is: Neat corn dogs without sticks. Make the batter for cornmeal muffins but pour 1/2 into a PAM sprayed 9x5 loaf pan. Lay hot dogs on top in one layer then pour the rest of the batter over. Sprinkle with smoked paprika just for color. Bake as per muffin recipe timing. Serve slices with the hot dog in the middle, and squirts of ketchup. Indoor county fair time!

The seventh is: Octopi. Cut hot dogs and use the ends only, about 2 1/2"-3". Cut "legs" and splay them so the upright puckered end looks like an octopus head. Use a toothpick to make eyes and a smile. Squish in mustard (or ketchup if you are so inclined).

The eighth is: Pickled Beets and Eggs. I used to make these for my kids and had forgotten how tasty these are, besides being pretty. (Steam) hard-boil and peel eggs, open and drain a can of sliced plain beets. Put them in a baggie or plastic/glass container (not metal!). Cover completely with juice from sweet, bread & butter, or dill pickles (or make your own boiled pickling liquid). Refrigerate for a few days. Slice the eggs with the wild purple outside ring to put on potato salad, on a sandwich, or just in your mouth. Do not use for egg salad because they turn ugh grey. The beets are great in coleslaw. When you eat up the eggs you can also add some steamed onions and let them pickle with the beets. Drink the juice - it is good for you (electrolytes, heartburn, hiccup stopper).

The ninth is: Melted snowmen cookies. Yes, Spring will be here - eventually. These help - smiles are NOT optional. Make or buy sugar cookies (I like 'Nilla's too). Put a small amount of frosting on top and micro for a few seconds to make it soften. Put either a small or large marshmallow on top (depending on how big you cookies are) and micro for up to max of 30 seconds watching carefully just until they start to puff. Take them out and let cool - they will "melt". Use colored frosting or food-safe colored pens to make face, stick arms, coal (mini choc chips, red hots) buttons and always a scarf. Other decorations depending on how bored you are and what you have lurking in the pantry - chocolate chip or mini peanut butter cup hat, red licorice whip for scarf, piece of carrot for nose, ear muffs from gum drops, bow tie, pretzel arms, bikini of gum drop slices, sunglasses.

The tenth is: Peach breakfast "fondue". Open and drain a can of peaches and chop in food processor with 1/3 C maple syrup, 2T whipped cream cheese, a bit of vanilla and dash of cinnamon. Heat in a pan on med-low just to bubbles are around the edges. Use to dip mini waffles or big ones cut down, or french toast fingers. Serve as if it was real fondue with long forks. You can't help but laugh at the silly of it.

Remember that everyone needs - once a day - a laugh, a hug, a smile. We can't see smiles unless we paint them on the masks, but your eyes can smile. We can't have physical hugs but we can send them electronically (I told my niece to hug her monitor and she said it worked). You must have a laugh everyday so find something that makes it yours for the day or pass something on for the others. Let us know what kind of fun you/we can do today.