April Fool's Day is one of those small holidays that many people look over, but it sure is fun for those of us who get into it! I've never been a fan of mean pranks, but I certainly like fun or silly pranks! And there are so many possibilities when you get food involved. I remember my mom always making a variety of fun foods that looked like one thing but was actually another (Chocolate cake 'meatloaf', anyone?).

I want to keep this tradition in my family, and so I've spent some time finding some fun recipes that are sure to get a kick! Here a few of my favorites:

Broccoli: Use a green fruit chew (like lime Tootsie Rolls), green sprinkles, and frosting to create candy broccoli the kids might actually eat!

Chicken Not Pie: Use vanilla pudding, fruit chewy candy (such as Starbursts), and white chocolate or apple rings to make a dessert version of the classic pot pie.

Kitty-litter Brownies: Mash up brownies and roll them into long cylinders; sprinkle them over chopped nuts to make a truly disgusting yet yummy dessert!

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches: Use 2 slices of pound cake, frosting, and food coloring to create this deceiving dessert!

Chicken Nuggets: Roll egg-less cookie dough (shaped into nuggets) in crushed graham crackers; you could even serve with frozen pound cake cut in the shape of French fries!

Jello Worms: Use a rubber band to hold several straws upright within a container. Pour a mixture of gelatin with a little cream in the straws and let set. These look so gross! I totally want to make them for my little brothers!

Chili: Mix together butterscotch and chocolate pudding. Top with chocolate-covered raisins and orange-dyed coconut to complete this yummy teaser.

Meatloaf Dinner: Serve a slice of square, flat chocolate cake or a rice-krispie treat using cocoa pebbles, and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Also serve a cupcake hidden by a glob of vanilla frosting with a yellow starburst and yellow gel icing on top (mashed potatoes with butter). Another option for mashed potatoes is to use ice cream and caramel sauce.

Shepherd's Pie: Fill a small bowl with rice-krispie treats made from Cocoa pebbles. Use orange and green chewy candy (such as Starbursts or taffy) to make peas and carrots. Melt some butter and mix with large marshmallows for the topping, and broil it for a few minutes. I love how real this looks!

Jello Drinks: Make Jello according to package directions, but let it set in the fridge in a few glass cups with a straw inserted in each. Watch as your families try to enjoy a cool, refreshing 'drink'.

Vanilla Ice Cream Cones: Stuff an ice cream cone with a serving of mashed potatoes. You could even add green onions for 'sprinkles'.

Taco Salad Bowls: Use colored coconut, maraschino cherries, black licorice, ice cream rolled in chopped pecans, whipped cream and waffle bowls to make this sweet alternative to the real thing!

A few other less time-consuming ideas could be putting a gummy worm in an apple; switching the carrots with a bag of Cheetos; putting food dye at the bottom of a cereal bowl so that when the milk is poured it changes colors; you could even just serve dessert first to pull a fun kitchen prank! I would love to hear any other ideas you have!

Happy April Fool's!