With families spending extra time at home this holiday season because of the coronavirus pandemic, our Specialized Services for Youth program has compiled a holiday guide with recipes and activities to help your family stay busy and connected.

Cooking with your children is a great way to work on math concepts like counting and measuring, lay down the groundwork for healthy eating habits, and inspire creativity. Here are four family-friendly recipes that our Specialized Services for Youth staff rounded up for you to enjoy this holiday season!

1) Grinch Kabobs

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients

• 10 mini marshmallows

• 10 strawberries (with tops removed)

• 1 banana slides into 10 round pieces

• 10 green grapes

• 10 toothpicks

Directions

First, wash the fruit! Next, assemble your kabobs — first a mini marshmallow, then a strawberry, a banana slice, and one green grape. Enjoy and refrigerate for up to one day!

Photo and recipe from MOMables.

2) Funfetti Cookies

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients

• Funfetti cake mix

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 2 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.

2. Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

3. Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are set. You do not want them to brown over in the oven. Allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

4. You can also frost and sprinkle these cookies, if desired!

Photo and recipe from I Heart Naptime.

3) Cinnamon Cheesecake

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients

• Large graham cracker crust

• 2 packages cream cheese (softened)

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Blend cream cheese, eggs, sugar, milk, cinnamon and vanilla using a hand mixer.

3. Pour ingredients into crust

4. Bake for 1 hour.

Recipe from Katie Kiner, Specialized Services for Youth home-based supervisor

4) Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cinnamon Butternut Squash with Pecans and Cranberries

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients

Roasted Brussels sprouts

• 3 cups Brussels sprouts (with ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Roasted butternut squash

• 1 1/2 lb butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cubed into 1-inch cubes)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Other ingredients

• 2 cups pecan halves

• 1 cup dried cranberries

• 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

Directions

Roast Brussels sprouts

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and grease with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

2. Slice Brussels sprouts in half, then combine in with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Place on sheet cut side down, roast for 20-25 minutes, turning over for the last 5-10 minutes.

Roast butternut squash

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and grease with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

2. In a medium bowl, combine cubed squash, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup and cinnamon.

3. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through.

4. Note: You can roast the Brussels sprouts and squash at the same time on two separate baking sheets.

Toast pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the pecans on the baking sheet and bake fro about 5 minutes or until they are darker in color.

Mix it all together

1. In a large bowl, mix the roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pecans and cranberries.

2. For more sweetness, add 2-4 tablespoons of maple syrup.

Photos and recipe from Julia’s Album.