Easter Story Cookies - make the night before Easter

FB Source: Stacie Allred

Ingredients:
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp white vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
plastic ziploc bag
wooden spoon
tape
Holy Bible

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important-don't wait 'til you're half done with the recipe!) 
2. Place pecans in ziploc bag and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
   Read John 19:1-3.
3. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
4. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
5. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.
6. So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16.
7. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed through repentance and the Atonement. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
8. Fold in broken pecans. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.
9. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.
10. GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.
11. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

Salt Dough Ornaments

FB Source: Julie Morgan

Ingredients:

2 C All-purpose flour

1 C Salt

1 C Warm water

Directions:

1. Mix well.
2. Shape with your hands or cookie cutters.
3. Make a loop out of wire and insert before baking.
4. Bake at 325 for approximately 1 hour.
5. Cool completely before decorating.
6. Have fun making memories.

These are too cute! What a great gift idea!

Stacie says: "I notice a lot of pictures with 'SBC' on them. I have tried searching for the source, but can't find out exactly what that means. I have also tried doing a search on 'Crafts by Trina', but haven't found out where this actually came from. I like to be able to put a source with these posts, when I have that information available."

Edible Snowmen

FB Source: Edible Harmony

Snowmen made with hardboiled eggs, carrots, peppercorns, toothpicks, and parsley. You can use jumbo eggs for the bottom and small eggs for the head.

www.edibleharmony.com

Colored Pasta

FB Source: Mommy Made

Put food coloring in a couple pots of boiling water and cook pasta. Drain and it comes out colored. My 3 year old would prob like this 

*Dawn*

Painted Bread

FB Source: Mommy Made

"Painted" bread. Milk with food coloring. Let kids paint, then pop in toaster.

DIY Designer Candles

FB Source: Kari Stoddart Cameron

Draw on wax paper with permanent markers, wrap around candle and heat until image is transferred...
Would make a great gift!!!

Sock Snowman

FB Source: Attitude 4 Fitness/Paige Sterner

Supplies Needed:
A pair of old socks (crew length, or longer)

rice, 

rubber bands, 

map pins with heads, 

buttons, 

any left over fabric if you want for a scarf.

Directions:

1. Assemble your supplies.
2. First, cut off the top of the sock (sock) from the foot (foot).
3. Turn the sock inside out and attach a rubber band tightly to the top of the sock.
4. Then turn the sock right-side out again. 
5. Fill the sock with rice. Make sure to pack it down as you go so the sock gets a nice round base. 
6. Rubber band the top of the sock closed and put another rubber band 3/4 of the way to the top for the head of your snowman. 
7. Now, decorate! Tie a scarf around your snowman's neck and add eyes, nose, and buttons. Use the leftover foot to fashion a stocking cap. Or you could use colored argyle socks to create hats and sweaters for your snowman. You can either sew or glue on your buttons, and add embellishments - twine, bows, ribbons, etc - as needed. 

This is such a quick and easy craft - 10 minutes tops - that it would be simple to create a whole family of snowmen for your mantle! How cute are these to make with the little ones?!!!!!!!!!!!

Teddy Bear Race Cars

FB Source: Melissa Tenhave

Ingredients:
1 packet of mini Mars Bars or Milky Way chocolate bars
1 family packet of round candies, like M&Ms, Skittles, Smarties, etc.
1 box of Tiny Teddy cookies
1 quantity of icing sugar icing paste for glue (mix half cup of icing sugar and a teaspoon of cocoa powder with a few drops of hot water)

Directions:

1. Glue each of the 4 wheels (M&Ms, Smarties, Skittles, etc.) on to the sides of the milky way bars using the icing sugar glue.
2. Press into each center a tiny teddy cookie.
3. Glue on an M&M steering wheel for each one.

I thought this would be cute for a kids party !!!Recipe from Foodgasms

Homemade Paint for Kids

FB Source: WizdomLa-Toya Norwood

Also, see this post by Mommy Made

Stacie says: "According to the comments on one of these FB posts, the flour, unless it is baked-in/on, will start to smell after a few days. Some women have stated that it worked just fine on their kids' ornaments that were baked. Also, to mix it, you need to use hot water to help break up the clumps, and then keep it in the fridge when not in use."

Squirmy Jelly Worms

Source: Marie Lamb

Ingredients:
2 packs (3 oz) Raspberry Jell-O
1 pkg unflavored gelatin (for extra firmness)
3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
3 cups boiling water
15 drops green food coloring
100 flexible straws (or enough to fill your container)
Tall container (1 quart or 1 liter carton of milk)

Directions:

1. Combine gelatin in bowl and add boiling water.
2. Let it cool to lukewarm and then add the heavy cream and 15 drops green food coloring.
3. Gather your straws (don’t forget to flex them out) and put them in the container. It’s important that the straws have a tight fit so the jello stays in the straws. For this reason, a 1 liter carton may be better; you will probably get longer worms since there is a tighter fit. If you have a bigger container, a rubber band around the straws is helpful. Or you could just add more straws to fill the container.
4. Add the gelatin mixture to the straw-filled container and let it set until firm.
5. There are multiple ways you can remove the worms from the straws. You can roll a rolling pin over the straws and squeeze them out or you can hold the straws over warm water. The worms will slip right out.

Cupcake Party Favors

Creative Parents

Use dollar store champagne flutes.

Put candy in the bottom and top with a cupcake.
Cute idea for kids birthday party.

*vanessa*

How to Make Hot Pink Candy Apples (or any other color!!)

Heather Pettit

Ingredients:

6-8 medium apples (washed, dried & stems removed)**

3 cups of white sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

1 cup water

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp white food coloring (I recommend AmeriColor Bright White Soft Gel Paste)

1-2 tsp. of you color of choice - the more color you use, the brighter the apples will be!)

Candy Apple Sticks (or craft sticks or short dowels)

Other things you'll need:

Cookie Sheet

Non-stick Spray

Heavy Duty Boiler or Sauce Pan

Candy Thermometer

Rubber Spatula

Directions:

1. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy boiler (sauce pan). Turn on medium to high heat and let the mixture come to a boil.
2. Be sure to have a candy thermometer inserted into the mixture but not touching the bottom!
3. Let the candy come to 302°F (hard crack stage). This will take about 20 minutes. There's no need to stir or disturb the mixture while it heats... just be patient!
4. While that's going on... make sure your apples are ready (washed, dried, and on the sticks!), then spray a cookie sheet with non-stick butter spray. The "butter" flavor isn't necessary, but butter makes everything better, right?
5. When the candy reaches 302°, immediately remove it from the heat and use a rubber spatula to stir in the vanilla (or other flavor). Then add the white gel paste and whatever color you want the apples to be... for me it was pink (and later on, orange.. but that was two different batches!). Stir it gently to get the color evenly incorporated.
6. You'll want to work quickly because the candy will start to cool immediately. As soon as the colors are evenly mixed in, begin dipping your apples.
7. I like to tilt the pot to get them really well coated, then let the excess drip off for a few seconds. After they're dipped, I set them on the buttered cookie sheet to harden. Be careful!!! This sugar is HOT and it will hurt you if you touch it!!

It will only take a couple of minutes and the candy will be hard and ready to eat! They keep well at room temperature for 2-3 days but do not refrigerate... they will get super sticky! 

** I used rather large Granny Smith Apples. I love the tartness of the green apples, but I wish they had been smaller. They were hard to wrap and I wasn't able to dip as many as the recipe indicated!

Fabulous & Fun Fall Fare

Jen CantrellThe Pumpkin Patch

How cute are THESE?!?

Great Idea for Lunches

Rachelle Moore

Lunches all ready!

• Just waiting to fill one more bin with fresh baking of muffins, cookies and granola bars!
• They can pick whatever they want from each bin, as long as it's the minimum amount written on it to keep it balanced!
• No more arguing and they get their wish - no more sandwiches!!!
• Now, all I have to do is keep the bins stocked!

Thanks again for the idea Dana Wight Kayal! — at www.rachellemoore.ca.

Fun and Healthy Halloween Treats

B Present Studio

Ingredients:

Bananas

Chocolate Chips

Mini Chocolate Chips

Clementine Cuties

Celery

Directions:

1. Peel bananas and slice into 2 pieces for the ghost bodies.
2. Press one chocolate chip into each banana for the mouth, and 2 mini chocolate chips above the mouth for the eyes.
3. Peel clementine cuties.
4. Slice a stalk of celery into small pieces for the pumpkin stem. Stick a celery piece into the top of each peeled clementine.

Who says Halloween treats have to B UNHEALTHY?!?! Look at these fun snacks! Perfect for your inner child or to make for a school party!

Pumpkin Pretzels

Dureeca Cook's Celebrating Home

Pumpkin pretzels for fall! The kids would love making these!!

Mini Caramel Apples

Mommies That Stay at Home

 Mini caramel apples
(So cute for the kids.)

Dinosaur Eggs

Cheryl-Ann Porter

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups dirt,
1 1/4 cups flour, 
3/4 cups of salt,
1/2 cup of sand.
Water to bind

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients start adding water slowly until it holds form.
2. Form around critters of your choice.
3. Let dry in the sun and let the kids enjoy discovering what's inside.

Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats

Parent's Room

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter 

1 (10 oz.) bag of mini-marshmallows 

1/4 cup yellow cake mix (the dry cake mix, not prepared into a batter!) 

6 cups crispy rice cereal 

1 (1.75 oz.) container of sprinkles 

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat and add marshmallows. Stir until they begin to melt, adding in (dry) cake mix one spoonful at a time so its combined. 
2. Stir in cereal and sprinkles
3. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan and let set.

Bones for Halloween

Cool Products & Ideas

Bones for Halloween

Ingredients:

Pretzel Sticks

Mini Marshmallows

White Candy Coating, like Almond Bark

Directions:

1. Melt candy coating according to package directions.
2. Stick a marshmallow on each end of a pretzel stick
3. Dip each end into coating.
4. Let setup on waxed paper