Getting your kids in the kitchen may seem like a lot of work, but it is one of the best ways to teach them life long lessons! I am going to tell you about the amazing benefits that you and your child will receive from spending time together in the kitchen while we bake monkey bread. Let’s start with washing our hands. This is the perfect time to teach your child a thing or two about microbiology. You can say something like this: There are teeny, tiny bugs that are invisible to your eye. They live all over the place! Some of them help us, but some of them can make us sick. It’s important to wash our hands so that we only keep the good ones around us. Let’s sing happy birthday twice as we rub our hands together really fast with soap, and then we can rinse them with water. Why do we have to rub our hands together really fast? Good question! That’s what’s going to get the bad bugs off, since soap alone won’t do the trick, so rub, rub, rub! Click photo to enlarge Now it’s time to … [Read more...]
Fall Cookies- Pinned It, Did It
Have you ever had one of those moments (usually happens to me on Pintrest) where you stop and you go "oh DUH!"? Well that is what came to mind when I saw the original pin. I saw these cookies and knew I had to give it a whirl. It is SO easy too! All you need is a bag of cookie mix, a rolling pin and a leaf shaped cookie cutter....and viola! Beautiful fall colored cookies. I made a double batch of sugar cookies to start. Next, I divided the batter up into four and colored each one a different fall color. I grabbed a small chunk from each colored batch and lined it up next to each other then rolled it out. We used our two leaf shaped cutters to make the cookies and baked. This sure was fun! I am totally adding this to my "to do list" for each fall. Click on the button above to learn more about Pinned it, Did it! … [Read more...]
Oreo Smash Bars
Do you love Rice Krispie bars??? Here's a new twist (and a little more unhealthy) on those same bars. You will need: 1 package of Oreo cookies 1 package of regular sized marshmallows 1/2 stick of butter Empty the entire container of Oreos into a blender or food processor. Chop until they make a fine grit. They should be all chopped with no large pieces left. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large microwave safe bowl. It should take around 1 1/2- 2 minutes to fully melt them. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour contents into a 8x8 greased pan and smash down firmly. Set in the fridge for about an hour to harden. Remove and enjoy! AMAAAAAAAAAAAZINGLY good! I only added this photo because I thought it was funny....my counter top is the same as the bars tee hee hee … [Read more...]
Homemade, Homegrown Pickles
One of my favorite things about summer is gardening! I've never been one that has been able to keep a plant or flower alive but vegetables are a different story! I feel like there is some sort of reward for caring for the veggies verses flowers or plants, you know- some sort of pay off. My oldest son loves, and I mean loves, cucumbers. This kid could eat an entire cuke with every single meal and still ask for more. This spring we decided that cucumbers were a must in our veggie garden and the fruits of our labor have been appearing one right after another! Now I saw our massive pile of cucumbers growing by leaps and bounds and I thought this might be a perfect time to make some pickles! Here is what you need: Cucumbers White Vinegar Dill (fresh is best) Sugar Red Onion (or white) Wash and clean your cucumbers well and if you have a food processor be thankful for that because slicing all those cukes by hand wouldn't be fun. Slice your cucumbers to the desired size (we use … [Read more...]
Christmas in July- Santa Trail Mix
Santa Trail Mix- You know you NEED to make some!! Here's what you will need: 2 cups of red and green M&Ms 1 cup of dry roasted peanuts 1/2 cup of Craisins or other dried fruit 2 cups of Chex cereal (I used the rice version) Pretzels (holiday shaped ones are best) Bugles mini marshmallows coarse sugar 1 package of red melting discs (candy aisle) 1 package of green melting discs (same aisle) 1 package of white chocolate chips (or almond bark) Shortening Assembling the Santa hats, melt your red discs in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval (I added about 2tsp of shortening after the first round to help thin it out a bit). Or you can melt them in a double boiler if you wish too! Dip your Bugles in the red stuff (tee hee hee) and set aside on a piece of wax paper to dry and harden. Dip the larger end of the red Bugles in left over red discs or melted white chocolate and then dip immediately in coarse sugar. Snip the mini … [Read more...]
Easy, No-Freeze, Homemade Ice Cream
We've had yet another heat wave in Minnesota this week so I thought it was about time that I taught my girls how to make easy, no-freeze, homemade ice cream. Yes, this recipe is no-freeze so it's super quick, and because it's homemade, it's super yummy too! To make your own, you'll need: 1/2 cup of half & half 1 Tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 1 sandwich size Ziploc bag 1 gallon size Ziploc bag 3 cups crushed ice 1/3 cup rock salt (sometimes called ice cream salt) Step 1) Put the half & half, sugar, and vanilla in the sandwich size Ziploc bag. Seal it tight. Step 2) Make sure the sandwich size Ziploc bag is definitely sealed. Step 3) Put the ice and rock salt in the gallon size Ziploc bag. Step 4) Add the sandwich size bag to the gallon size bag. Seal it tight. Step 5) Make sure the gallon sized bag is sealed tight. Step 6) Shake the bags for about 10-15 minutes until the ice cream forms. We ended up using a towel to hold … [Read more...]
