The Big Brother Box

As you may have surmised from my previous post, I’m getting a new niece.  You know, since I said that and everything.  What I didn’t mention is that she is joining a big brother, and I’m heading out to visit (with my family) in a couple of weeks to help my sister out.  And by help out, I mean hold the baby, chase the big brother and tickle him, go shopping, and entertain my kids.  It’s going to be fun, because as luck would have it, I like children of all ages.

I’ve been racking my brain about what to get my nephew, since I know (from experience) that it’s hard for siblings to get displaced, so I decided I would make the big brother his very own goodie box.  The preschool my kids went to, used to have a box like this for each kid to pick one thing out of during their school parties, and they loved it.  So it just seemed natural that my nephew would love it too (fingers crossed!), especially since all the items in the box are just for him.

I plan to add a few more things – edible ones, like some whoppers, orange fruit cups (because he loves fruit), and maybe some prepackaged muffins.  Oh, and the box in the above picture had to be changed out because I couldn’t fit everything in, thus the box in the picture below looks much bigger, because it is!

The box reads: “Caleb’s Big Brother Box”

This would also be perfect to put goodie bags/treats in for a birthday, or school, party.

Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

It’s that time of year again – it’s teacher appreciation week!  I saw this flower idea in this fabulous kids party book.  It turned out really cute – to finish it off, I ended up tying some twine around the can with a gift tag for the teacher.

And I love that it’s not breakable since it was dropped shortly after this picture was taken.  Plus it’s recyclable and little ones of all ages can help you arrange flowers.  With that said, I strongly suggest purchasing one of these smooth edge can openers to ensure that there are no sharp edges on the can.

I saw this idea in another fabulous party book (if you don’t believe me, just look at the reviews!).  I love the idea of giving teachers apples, although I know that they’re not particularly fond of being given apples year after year.  And that’s why I love this idea so much, because the packaging just looks like an apple, but inside I’ve individually wrapped two brownies.

I bought these bags at my local craft store, they came in a mixed bag of 12, and (luckily) I bought extra since some of them weren’t glued well on the sides.  Then I cut the brownies to size, wrapped them in plastic wrap, and stacked them inside the bag.

Next I gathered the bag in the middle – pushing the sides in, then I folded the top of the bag like a fan and wrapped it in floral tape.  Next I used a small leaf punch to cut leaves out of coordinating scrapbooking paper, and I attached it to the bag with a glue dot.

Super cute, and really fun to make!

Santa Berry

Aren’t these the cutest Santas ever?!  The trick is finding strawberries in season this time of year.  I know they can get expensive, but they’re worth it!

These are a perfect project for the kids to make at their own holiday table on Christmas Eve, great for class parties, or perfect for that holiday buffet.

The original recipe called for the use of frilly toothpicks, but I haven’t been able to find them around town, so I modified that by using a small marshmallow on the top of the toothpick.

My son told me that the Santa (pictured above) “looks creepy” without a mouth, so we fixed that below!

Santa Berry Adapted from Simple & Delicious Nov/Dec 2006

To make these handsome guys you need. . .

12 large strawberries, hulled

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

12 red-frilled toothpicks, or regular toothpicks and 12 mini marshmallows

1 loaf (10 3/4 ounces) frozen pound cake, thawed or homemade pound cake, recipe here

24 miniature semisweet chocolate chips and 12 red hots for the mouth, or an extra 12 chocolate chips for the mouth

12 fudge-covered cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

*These treats are also printed in Betty Crocker Celebrate! with some differences, such as pineapple in lieu of the pound cake and marshmallow/cream cheese frosting (8 ounce cream cheese mixed with 1 cup of marshmallow creme) which I’m definitely trying next time – yum!

Cut the strawberries widthwise – keeping mates together.  Then trim the crust off the pound cake and cut large cubes – then set each cube between the berries and trim to size.

Next stick a toothpick through the berries and cake, and place a mini marshmallow on the top of the toothpick still sticking out.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth and scoop into a frosting bag fitted with a small star tip (such as #18).  Pipe around the rim of the hat (the top strawberry), then pipe the beard and down the sides of the front of the face.

Dab the back of the mini chocolate chips with frosting and place them onto the cake.  Add the red hot (or additional chocolate chip) for the mouth.

*Optional, dust the cake with powdered food coloring for a blushing Santa (the one on the left).

These guys go quick, so make plenty!

Santa Berry can’t believe his friend Frosty has melted!  Oh dear!

For the melting snowman shown above, click here.

Linking to I Heart Nap Time, Tidy Mom, Crazy for Crust

Melting Snowman

I saw this idea here, and I absolutely LOVED it!  I might use some orange candy melts next time for the carrot nose for some extra depth.  The kids and I had tons of fun putting these together.

You’ll need . . .

1 box of graham crackers

2 Giant Hershey Bars

1 bag of large marshmallows

1 box of Fruit by the Foot

1 package of white candy coating, or white chocolate

Edible markers

*Orange-colored candy melts – if you want don’t want to use the marker

So here is how we did it. . .

Place halved graham crackers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and then set two squares of chocolate on top (I used a Giant Hershey Bar).

Then have your kids place a large marshmallow on top of the chocolate.  Place the cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees (I preheated my oven, then turned it off when I put the s’mores in) for about 10-15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are slightly puffed and lightly browned.

*I wanted to heat them in the oven so that all the components would adhere to one another.  Plus, the melted marshmallow really makes the snowman head look, well . .um . .melted.

Here they are out of the oven, cooled, and topped with melted white chocolate.  And when I say “topped,” I don’t mean it literally – I just basically spooned the white chocolate around the base of the marshmallow.

Then I just “painted” on the face with my edible markers and added some blush with my dry paintbrush (I use it for food only) and some powdered food coloring.  Then I used fruit by the foot as the “scarf.”  Super fun, super easy, and dare I say. . .super cute!

Linking to I Heart Nap Time, The Grant Life, Tidy Mom

Lifesaver Candy Canes

Lifesaver candy canes. . .aren’t these the cutest?!  They’re fun to make, and there are plenty of jobs for all of the kids.  In fact, the only “adult” job is manning the oven.

So here’s the backstory . . .

My friend Janna was looking for something edible to make for her daughter to sell for a school economics project, and she found this idea here.

After listening to her talk about them on the phone, I was running for the car keys to buy some Lifesavers of my own.

Janna made her’s with red and white Lifesavers, but I knew I wanted rainbow ones.

All you need is. . .

hard Lifesavers candies (any color of your choice)

a cookie sheet

parchment paper

*treat bags and ties are optional, but I recommend them.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Have the kids unwrapped all of the candies and set aside.  It’s handy to have the trash nearby for this part – those wrappers can make a big mess quick!

Place 8 Lifesavers in a candy cane shape on the parchment-line cookie sheet – make sure they’re touching!

Place the cookie sheet in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes.  *I had 4-6 candy canes on each cookie sheet.

Take them out of the oven and slide the parchment sheet (with candy canes) onto the table to cool.

Repeat with remaining candy.  I was able to make 12, give or take, with a regular-size bag of Lifesavers.  Imagine how many you could make with the huge bag!

When they’re cool you can package them for giving.  They can be fragile, so I like to place them in a cellophane bag (with the opening on the bottom) and twist tie them.

These are really cute tied onto gifts, and packages, as an edible accent/decoration.

*This idea has also been published in Kraft Food and Family Magazine – Holiday 2004.

Linking to One Artsy Mama Holiday Party, I Heart Nap Time

S’more Snowman Pretzels

Is it too early to talk about Christmas?  If you’re like me, it’s never too early!  Plus, this year we’re celebrating in three locations, which means I’ll be bringing Christmas goodies with me this Thanksgiving.

I’m already knee-deep in candy making – I still have the cookies & cakes to go.  Oh, and my daughter has a Thanksgiving party, another one has a Pirate performance, then there’s the canned food drive and Caring and Sharing for school.  And that’s just before Thanksgiving.  Yikes!

If you’re crazy-busy like me, then this treat is a break from all the hard-core baking, and they’re super cute.

This is a (Christmas) twist on the S’more Ghost Marshmallows.  Click here for directions on how to make the chocolate dipped marshmallow.

These are really quite simple, and would be great as place settings at Christmas dinner, at school parties as treats, or as an easy dessert buffet item.  You could also put a pretzel stick in the bottom of the marshmallow (after dipping & drying) and use it as a cute cupcake topper.

So let’s get down to business.

First, I decorated the face with edible markers, then I inserted a pretzel stick into the center of the marshmallow, and set aside.

When all of the marshmallows have cheery faces (complete with a light dusting of powdered food coloring for blush – applied with a food-only paintbrush) & pretzel sticks, then I prepare them as usual.  Follow the link above for directions for the chocolate/graham cracker dipping part.

These are also adorable on their own, so if you don’t want to go to all the trouble of dipping them, you can simply take away the pretzel stick (and package them in a cellophane bag) and you have the cutest marshmallows just waiting for a nice cup of hot chocolate.  Perfect for gifting to teachers and friends this holiday season!

*Inspired by Yum! Magazine for Kids and Celebrate Magazine.

Linking to One Artsy Mama, I Heart Nap Time, Tidy Mom, Crazy for Crust

Halloween Cat Cupcakes

Happy Halloween – well, almost anyway!

Today I went up to school to celebrate Halloween with the kids, and these were the cupcakes I brought for my daughter’s class.  I used the Sugar Sparkle Black Cats from a previous post by making them into picks.

To make the edible “picks” I just “glued” a pretzel stick with melted chocolate to the back of the black cat, and I let them dry overnight.

*I set mine on parchment to dry – which made peeling them off a breeze!

The edible cats were a huge hit with the kids!

Linking to Tidy Mom, I Heart Nap Time

Shrunken Apple Head

My daughter needed to make a “creature” out of an apple for a school assignment.  So we all tossed around ideas at the table, until I jumped up and announced that we were making something that had a shrunken head (because I’d always wanted to try it, but just couldn’t bring myself to waste a perfectly good apple).

Shrunken Apple Head  from Marthastewart.com

1 cup of lemon juice (I used the bottle kind)

1 Tablespoon of salt

Combine in a small (deep) bowl and set aside – I used a small plastic container.

Peel the apple and then have your husband cut deep facial features with a paring knife (so they’ll sink when the apple shrivels up).

Then put the apple into the solution to “cure” for 30 seconds – rolling it around.  Pat dry with a paper towel and set on a paper plate (out of the way) to dry for 8 days.

Then you can simply put a bamboo skewer through it and litter your yard (or someone else’s) with shrunken heads, or make an old witch (like we did).

This apple head is mounted on a bamboo skewer with yarn “hair” glued to the top of the skewer.  The top of the hat was made with construction paper in the shape of a cone and a circle with a hole cut out for the brim.  The dress was another construction paper cone taped.

Ice Cream Orange Pumpkin

The hardest part about this project, was getting the picture taken before the ice cream started to melt!  They’re really quite simple, and the kids love them.

Chocolate Ice Cream “Pumpkin” Adapted from The Children’s Party Handbook

6 navel oranges

3 pints of chocolate ice cream

2 Creme-filled Pirouette Cookies (I used Chocolate Hazelnut)

Cut the top off of the orange, then cut a small circle out of the center, and place about 1-inch (length) of a pirouette cookie in the top for the stem.  Set aside.

Using a paring knife, cut the inside out of the orange.  I did this by cutting between the fruit and the pith, and then scooping out the orange segments with a grapefruit spoon (the serrated sides really helped).

Then I scraped out the orange until most of the juice was gone, and then cut out the face with the paring knife.

Scoop ice cream into the orange “pumpkin” and place the top on and serve!

Linking to Tidy Mom, I Heart Nap Time

S’more Ghost Marshmallows

Now that Halloween is right around the corner, these guys are the perfect treat to make with your kids and send to their school parties.  They’re completely edible, so you won’t have to pick up skewers (or worry about the kids poking each other with them!).

All you need are some edible markers – they’re sold everywhere these days.  I’ve even seen them at Walmart in the cake decorating aisle.

I used the bold Wilton markers for this project (in black).  I have a set of the Americolor markers that I generally save for my “fancier” projects (since they’re not sold in my local store, and I have to purchase them online).

To get the recipe for the marshmallows click here.

This would also be a fun party activity (if you have a chocolate warmer or a microwave nearby).  You could set up a marshmallow bar, complete with toppings to dip them in and edible markers to make individual faces.  Messy, but fun!

Linking to I Heart Nap Time, One Artsy Mama, Tidy Mom, Crazy for Crust, Design Dazzle

Inspired by Yum! Magazine for kids