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My DD needs to create out of food an insect for a school project by this Friday. I told her I would ask some very creative people I know and get back to her.
She will have to create 21 insects or one large body of a chosen insect that have the following:
Head
Thorax
Addomen
Eyes
Antennae
Legs
Ants on a log using celery sticks and raisins for the ants is out because of the different body parts needed to be shown. Remember no spiders because they are not insects.
We are talking about a hissing cockroach made of chocolate cake or brownies, colored icing, black licorice for legs & antennae, brown M&Ms for eyes. She said there have been a ton of lady bug cupcakes she is wanting the "wow factor or creativity" grade that nobody has claimed yet.
Could you mold something out of rice-crispy treats (or cocoa crispies)? Hmmm.....putting my thinking cap on....I suppose you could use a plum for a thorax or abdomen...?
1. Use cooked long-grain rice (overcooked a bit maybe so it splits)...to simulate maggots...and place it on some rice pudding with an icing layer on top...with some big red oozing circles (using some red Jello or grenadine syrup) incorporated into that even to simulate wounds in flesh with the maggots going to town on it. Hey...maggots are just fly larvae.
2. Use cream horns to simulate grubs!
3, Use raisins that have been plumped up in hot water to simulate ticks...OK...technically not insects.
4. Use edible rice paper to create butterflies...just paint the wings with food colors or use colored sugars or piping gel to decorate. The body of the insect could be made from Tootsie rolls heated and cut/rolled to shape.
5. Blanch some almonds and use the brown husk that comes off to form the wings for other insects, including cockroaches. Eyes could be created from tapioca pearls (cooked)....legs from rosemary "needles"...delicate wings from pickled ginger slices, etc.
What a fun project and I think it is adorable that your daughter wants the "wow' factor. How about both a caterpillar AND a butterfly together? Melted hard candy cooled into thin pieces on wax paper can make the butterfly wings.
What about picking a beetle type bug? Something with a long body. Then use a large veggie like a squash cut out the inside of it to give an open view of the inside "parts' and make the parts out of smaller foods like a cherry for the heart, add a plum for the head, licorice for legs, etc. And then I guess you would have to spray it with some kind of clear coat so it doesn't rot away before she gets it to school.
It would be big enough so she could describe all of the body parts and the functions.
Good luck. I was never good at those projects, lol.
What a fun project and I think it is adorable that your daughter wants the "wow' factor. How about both a caterpillar AND a butterfly together? Melted hard candy cooled into thin pieces on wax paper can make the butterfly wings.
Great ideas coming in thanks! I didn't say it all has to be edible too. I like the rice krispie molding idea as that would hold up longer since she needs it for 6th period.
Rice paper we will have to see if we have that around here this is pretty rural. One store might have it if she decides to do a butterfly tonight.
Melted hard candies for wings is another wonderful idea for wings!
See I knew I could count on foodies here to give ideas keep them coming!
YLisa I don't know an orangish insect that we could use the squash for do you? That is a great idea to show the insides.
Great ideas coming in thanks! I didn't say it all has to be edible too. I like the rice krispie molding idea as that would hold up longer since she needs it for 6th period.
Rice paper we will have to see if we have that around here this is pretty rural. One store might have it if she decides to do a butterfly tonight.
Melted hard candies for wings is another wonderful idea for wings!
See I knew I could count on foodies here to give ideas keep them coming!
YLisa I don't know an orangish insect that we could use the squash for do you? That is a great idea to show the insides.
How about using a spaghetti squash and painting black lines on it for a yellow jacket? Keep it all in a little cooler, lol.
Maybe a Bee and you could use Chocolate and Vanilla (mixed with yellow food coloring) frosting to make the strips. And you could put it on a plate of honey
Or you could make a few ants and have a ant hill made of brown sugar.
If you make the butterfly, maybe you could use edible glitter to color the wings and make a pretty design
How about an ant fashioned out of warmed up tootsie rolls? You buy the bigger sized ones, pop them in the microwave for a few seconds, and then they can be molded like Play Doh for the head, thorax, and abdomen. You can use those black shoelace licorice wires for legs and antenae, and small candies for the eyes. The best part is that once it cools completely, it should be pretty portable.
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Melted hard candy cooled into thin pieces on wax paper can make the butterfly wings.
