Friday Fun Snack - Snow Ice Cream

 Remember when I talked about "embracing Winter"? Today, we did just that!



 Here's our recipe for Snow Ice Cream !!

1 huge bowl of snow (clean snow of course)
1 cup of Sugar
1 tbsp Vanilla
1-2 cups Milk (depends on your desired consistency)

Mix it up !

Happy Weekend !!

Friday Fun Snack - Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

We made these during our snow day and they were beyond delicious! I ate 5 in a row, no lie. I'm also a sucker for cookie dough, I literally ate half the bowl.
Luckily I doubled the batch knowing that would happen, and now I have some dough left to throw in the freezer for a rainy day.


What you need

1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Butter or Margarine
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Egg
2 cups Oats
1 1/2 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 package Chocolate Chips


How you make them

Mix it up
Place on cookie sheet
Bake @350 for 10 minutes (or until edges start to brown)



My cousin shared a recipe for with me that called for Jello vanilla pudding mix. Unfortunately since I was snowed in, I didn't have any so I improvised with the above recipe. She swears by this recipe, so I would recommend to give it a go as well!

1 cup butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 small package Jell-O instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups flour
3 cups oatmeal, old-fashioned or quick
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degree - bake 10 minutes (or until edges start to brown)

Friday Fun Snack - Chocolate Chip Muffins

Muffins are awesome, my kids love them. I made regular and bite-sized (which are perfect for lunches and freezing)
I'll admit, I downsized my super-mom abilities today and used packaged muffin mix and added the chocolate chips (hold your screams).

 However, I did throw in some rolled oats, peeled apple and some honey. You can't judge me now!

What you need
1 Package Muffin Mix
1 Package Rainbow Chocolate Chips
1 egg
1 cup rolled oats
1 grated apple (peeled)
2 tbsp honey


How we made it
Mix everything
Peel and core an apple and grate into the mixture
Pour into muffin pans
Bake @ 350 until cooked

Friday Fun Snack - Mini Apple Crisps

I'm told I make pretty good apple crisp. I thought it'd be fun to whip up some kid sized crisps for this week's kid's snack. It was more than easy, fun and a huge hit with my family!

I made them using muffin pans so they were kid-sized and used the liners as little plates.

What you need

Topping:
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Oats
1/3 cup Butter

Cinnamon/Nutmeg
Apples (I used 4 for this batch)

How you make it

Mix topping ingredients
Line the muffin pan with liners
Cut up apples into small pieces and fill liners with them
Sprinkle Cinnamon/Nutmeg on top
Cover apples with topping

Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes and Enjoy!

Friday Fun Snack-Fun Pancakes

While driving my 9 year old to school this morning she asked me, "What's for Fun Friday Snack today?" S#@T! I had no snack planned for today. I had completely forgotten. After scanning my cupboards for a quick snack that would be fun and entertaining I found some leftover pancakes that I had tossed in the freezer for a quick snack. Genius. I had whipped cream and strawberries to go along with them and since we're already starting to get into the Christmas spirit...this is what we came up with.
Here's a great way to add some fun (and holiday cheer) to your everyday pancakes!

Who doesn't love a little Santa Clause?
Happy Weekend!

Friday Fun Snack - Spider Chocolate Chip Cookies

I hope everyone's Halloween was a success! We dressed in our costumes, ran from door to door and collected bags full of goodies! Yesterday we made these cookies for Halloween but I still wanted to share them today. Aside from Halloween you can still make these any day. Maybe your kid has a thing for insects? ( thankfully mine do not) or simply as a fun way to spice up your kid's lunchbox.

What you need
I used my everyday Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that I posted for a previous Friday Fun Snack.
Make sure to set a handful of chocolate chips aside to use later for the bug legs.

How you make them
After you mix up your dough and your cookies are baking, melt the chocolate chips you saved and put them in a frosting bag or a simple ziploc bag and cut a very small hole in the end corner.
While your cookies are still warm in the oven, take them out and place a chocolate chip upside down in the cookie (flat side up) this will be the "bug body". Bake the cookies for just a few more minutes.
Once the cookies are cool use your bag of melted chips to draw legs on the bugs.

So very simple!

Halloween Treat ideas and Trick or Treating Prep

When it comes to Trick-or-treating, I like to switch things up a bit. Instead of the expected candy bar and pop, I like to give out more healthier treats. Kids need proper hydration and nutrition on Halloween night. With all the walking, door knocking, sweating (in hot costumes) and sugar consuming it's nice to give them a little something to help keep them going all evening. It's also convenient to have healthy snacks for packing lunches the rest of the week.
Some great ideas for drinks are mini bottles of water or juice packs. Snacks can be granola bars, small sized apples, goldfish or a clementine. All of these are still just as cheap as buying a box of of mini chocolate bars. My kids actually get excited when they see a snack like this because they know they can eat it right away if they want, and they get thirsty often throughout the night so they know they can grab a drink when they see one.

Goldfish now come in fun Halloween themes

Draw jack-o-lantern faces on clementines to be festive

Halloween night is busy and exhausting but lots of fun for the whole family! Here are a few tips we follow to make sure our night is a success.

Eat a good supper - We all get together and eat a good meal so we've all got full bellies and lots of energy.
Plan out a route - We live in the country, and we like to trick or treat on foot, so we always go into town where houses are closer together and there are sidewalks. We all have select houses and neighborhoods we want to visit, so we make sure to plan out where we are going. We usually trick or treat on foot first in a familiar neighborhood and then drive to visit other friends and family around town.
Wear comfy footwear - heels might go with their costume, but my kids are wearing sneakers regardless. We do alot of walking and I'm not carrying anyone.
Bring extra layers or rain gear. Our weather changes every 5 minutes and we have no time to pause this game and run home.

4 more days until Halloween !!!

Friday Fun Snack - Caramel Corn Class Treats

Nothing says fall like Caramel Corn. If your kids like popcorn, this is the same except it's dipped in gallons of sugar, and it tastes so good.
Caramel Corn is fun and easy to make. You can be creative and add some extras to it or have it plain. I've mixed in nuts, pretzels, chocolate chips, and marshmallows. It's easy to bag up and store for snacks on the go, or giving away as treat bags for a party or gift.

I made some for my kids to take to school for their Halloween parties. I used cute Halloween baggies and mixed in some chocolate chips, marshmallows and pretzels.

What you need

1/2 Bag popcorn kernels
1 cup Butter
1 cups Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Corn Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Baking Soda

How you make it

Pop the popcorn
Pick out the un-popped kernels
Mix butter,brown sugar, and corn syrup and boil for 3 minutes (stirring constantly)
Remove from heat and add Vanilla and Baking Soda and stir
Pour over popcorn and stir
Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes @ 250 degrees

Enjoy!

Halloween Party Spooky Snacks

My Halloween countdown begins! It's my second favorite time of year!
On the weekend we threw our annual family Halloween party! One of my favorite parts is making spooky snacks. Here are a few of our party creations.

Nothing is spookier than punch with eyeballs and dead hands!

Finger shortbread cookies

Edible pumpkin throw-up chip dip

Halloween is so much fun, and gives me a chance to bring out my creative side. Kids love anything spooky, scary and disgusting. All of these snacks were huge crowd pleasers and got a few squeals out of my guests.

10 days until Halloween !!

Friday Fun Snack - Smoothies

Smoothies as a snack? Why not? It's something different, and can be alot of fun for kids to make up recipes and test them out.
Smoothies are great because the preparation, cleanup and consumption are quick and easy. They're also a great way for busy kids on the go and picky eaters to get their much needed nutrients. I make a smoothie every morning for my 9 year old to grab on her way out the door to the bus and she drinks it on the way to school.

Here are a few tips and recipes I'd like to share:

1. Invest in a good smoothie cup with a lid and straw. It's the best way to avoid spillage even if you're just sitting around the house.

I have this cup for my 9 year old. It's durable, non-breakable and
has a good quality straw that can be closed.

An insulated cup is great to keep your smoothie cold.

This is genius! Everything tastes better in glass instead of plastic.

 2. Buy a good quality blender. I use a Magic Bullet and I highly recommend it. You want something that's easy to wash and will blend up your fruit and ice so it doesn't leave any big chunks.
These blenders got really great reviews:

Ninja BL 660

Bosch Porche Stand Blender

Cuisinart Smart Power Blender

3. Make smoothie prep easy. I use frozen fruit instead of using ice cubes so my smoothies aren't watered down. I prefer to buy it fresh, cut it up, freeze it and then bag it. You can bag it organized by fruit, or by smoothie type.

4. Find a smoothie recipe you like. Part of the fun is discovering and trying new smoothie recipes. You can blend almost anything together! I had Madison help me make up some recipes and prepare the fruit bags and she's looking forward to trying them all.
Try sneaking some spinach in the smoothie for some added iron, and some flavored instant oatmeal to help thicken up the smoothie and add some taste. The kids will never know!

I like to mix my fruit with vanilla flavored Almond or Rice Milk because I like a little sweetness and orange juice for some vitamin C. For a chocolate fix, try some chocolate Soy or Almond Milk.There are so many recipes and ways to make smoothies depending on your taste. Here's a great step-by-step to make a smoothie from Super Skinny Me.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend Everyone! We have a weekend of turkey, corn mazes and fun prepared!

Friday Fun Snack + A Little Something New

 

Since it's now October and fall is slowly creeping in, I decided to whip up a snack that fit the season. Rice Krispie Pumpkins! It's basically Rice Krispie squares with a little touch of Fall. They were really easy to make, and left very little to clean up afterwards. They also made many tiny bellies very happy.

What you need

1/4 cup butter

1 pkg mini marshmallows

1/2 tsp vanilla

Food Colouring
Green Icing
Pumpkin Stems - I used Reisen candies. Other great ideas are tootsie rolls or green jelly beans.

How you make it

Melt butter and marshmallows on the stove

Add vanilla

Add food colouring until your desired shade of orange is reached

Add Rice Krispies

Mold the mixture into balls and stick in your "pumpkin stem" (make sure to do this while the balls are still warm)
Once they have cooled off, drizzle on the icing in shape of leaves

I'm excited to share a new addition to the blog. For the first time, I have a picture watermark! All my creations that I post on the blog will finally have my credit. This is a big step for this blog, with many more new additions to come!

Let me know what you think?

Happy Weekend to you all! Since it's mine and Mike's 5th Wedding Anniversary this weekend, we'll be enjoying some actual adult time and the chance to eat a decent meal without having to prepare it!

Anniversaries + Friday Fun Snacks

Today my blog is officially 4 months old! In those 4 months, I've posted 52 entries, had 6,584 page views, 53 published comments and earned a ranking in the top 10 on Top Mommy Blogs.

Remember my very first blog entry? Give it a read.

I had no idea this blog would take me where it has today. I had no idea that my husband would actually be right. I started off just typing random sentences and somehow it grew into something fun and creative.
I love that people read it.
I love that people are inspired by it.
I love that people want to share it.
This blog would be nothing if no one ever read it, so thank you to everyone for your continued love and support.I love writing it!

What better way to celebrate than with cupcakes? Chocolate cupcakes.With peanut butter icing.
You're welcome.

Cupcakes
What you need
1/4 cup flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup oil
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

How you make it 
Mix group A separately
Beat in group B
Add 1 cup of boiling water
Bake @ 350 until cooked


Frosting
What you need
1/2 cup butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk
2 cups icing sugar

How you make it
Mix butter and peanut butter together
Gradually add icing sugar and milk until it's fluffy

If you like things a little easier, like I do, I discovered that mixing Betty Crocker's vanilla icing with some peanut butter can whip up a pretty good replacement.


Happy Weekend!

Friday Fun Snack Day - Chocolate Chip Cookies

We toned it down a bit this week, and made our favorite.
Need I say more.

What you need

2 1/4 cup of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 white sugar
2 eggs

 How you make it

Mix group 1 ingredients separately
Mix group 2 ingredients separately
Gradually add together with chocolate chips
Bake 9-11 mins @ 375

And of course our favorite part!

Happy Weekend !

Friday Fun Snack Day - Homemade Granola Bars

I've been wanting to make homemade granola bars forever. Finally I gave it a try. I found an easy, no bake recipe and basically tossed in whatever I wanted. It was my first time, so I wasn't sure how they would turn out but I was really pleased with them. This recipe only made about 10 bars, so next time I would recommend doubling the recipe.

What you need:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cooking oats
1 cup granola - I used the honey almond granola for some extra sweetness and the almonds
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tablespoons chocolate chips - I cheated and used half a bag
I sprinkled in 2 tablespoons of coconut and honey roasted peanuts - this is optional

How you make it:
Stir together oats and granola and other dry ingredients you are adding. Set aside.
Melt butter, honey and brown sugar over medium heat until it comes to a bubble
Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes
Pour in vanilla and stir
Pour over dry ingredients and stir
Pour into lightly greased pan and let cool at room temperature for 2 hours
Cut into bars and enjoy!

I added my chocolate chips with my dry ingredients so that the chocolate melted throughout the bars. You can also just place them on top of the bars once they are set in the pan if you would rather.

This recipe is great because you can add whatever you want. Coconut, mixed nuts, raisins, cranberries, marshmallows, chocolate chips, the list goes on! Especially if you have peanut allergies you can take nuts out of the recipes and replace with other tasty treats. Both my kid's schools are peanut-free so I made a nut-free mix so they can take them in their lunches.

Friday Fun Snack Day - Puppy Chow

Happy Friday!

WARNING:
Today's snack is not one bit healthy! But it is gluten free! I made this snack yesterday to celebrate the first day of school (yippee!) I had a bus load of hungry, tired kids roll in around 4pm and this certainly brightened up their spirits!
Speaking of the first day of school, were you as happy as my husband?

Life certainly has changed now that school is back in session. Life is quiet. Life is calm. Life is good.

I've never made Puppy Chow before, but remember eating it as a kid and loving every bite. It was pretty easy except I overdid the icing sugar and found myself straining it out of the mix later on. My advice is to use half the amount of icing sugar and then add more as you mix depending on your choice of desired coating.

What you need:
1 box of Chex cereal
1 cup of Peanut Butter or alternative if allergies are present
1/4 cup of Margarine
1 pkg Milk Chocolate Chips
3 cups of Icing Sugar


How you make it:
Melt peanut butter, chocolate chips and margarine. You can melt it on the stove, or microwave (in a microwave safe bowl of course)
Pour mixture over Chex cereal
Stir.
Pour Icing Sugar into large Ziploc bag and add coated cereal.
Shake.
Devour.

This snack is great for bagging up individually for snack drawers.
Happy Weekend!



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Friday Fun Snack Day - Apple Teeth

In lieu of back to school, I chose a snack that used apples. We all love apples in our house and they are so versatile when it comes to snacks. We always have apples and peanut butter so "Apple Teeth" were an easy snack for us!
Apparently today is National "Toasted Marshmallow Day". How fitting. This is also a fun snack that can be used at Halloween.

What you need
Red apples
Mini marshmallows
Peanut butter or alternative if there are allergies

How you make it 
Cut apple slices into flat wedges - If your family enjoys apples I reccommend investing in an apple slicer. Saves time and so easy!
Spread the peanut butter of your choice on the bottom wedges
Stand mini marshmallows upright on bottom wedge
Spread the peanut butter on the bottom side of top wedge
Place top wedge on top of the marshmallows.

They were a hit !

Hey Parents here's a sweet tip!

Instead of tossing out leftover apples why not turn it into a delicious smelling simmer pot while you're in the kitchen cleaning up. Simply fill a saucepan with water, add the peels or cores of the apples and whatever else you might like. Cinnamon, cloves and allspice are a good addition. Boil to release the oils, turn down to simmer and enjoy the aroma!

Friday Fun Snack Day - Fruit & Cheese Kabobs

I'm so excited about this snack! Making it was so much fun, and I even got the kids involved to cut out their shapes. Whether it's cookie dough or play dough they love craft cutters.
We used our favourites fruits like watermelon, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries and added some cheese.

What you need

Fruit & cheese of your choice
Skewers
Shape cutters

How you make it

Wash your fruit
Cut your cheese & watermelon using the shape cutters
Place fruit & cheese on skewers alternating in a pattern

This was a fun and delicious rainy day activity!

Friday Fun Snack Day

I really enjoy this blog, and I sometimes feel like I actually have some important things to share. However, I'm looking to make a few changes that may help it to run more smoothly. I'm going to downsize from 3 posts a week to 2, as I'm finding it difficult to come up with new and fresh topics. Friday Funday will be seeing a new look as well. Because really, how fun can Friday be every single week? A friend of mine suggested introducing a fun recipe or kid's craft. So Fridays I will post a fun kid's snack for everyone to try for the weekend. I also love the thought of a guest blogger on a regular basis, someone who can share some advice or skills on a subject I have no experience with. If this could be you, please let me know!
Since I'm still very new at this, I would love to hear any comments or suggestions you might have for me! What type of posts do you enjoy most? What topics offer the best advice?
I'd love to hear from you!

So starting this Friday off fresh and clean, here is my first Fun Friday Snack!

As a kid, one of my favourite snacks was "ants on a log". It was a genius mix-up of celery, raisins and cheese whiz. It was easy to prepare and tasted delicious! Just the name alone got a laugh out of my kids!

What you need

2 stalks celery, cut into 3-4 inch pieces

2 Tbsp Cheez Whiz Cheese Spread

1 Tbsp raisins

How you make it

Spread each celery piece with Cheez Whiz

Top with Raisins

You can adjust this snack to your children's taste, and substitute peanut butter instead of cheese whiz. If they aren't raisin fans you can add peanuts, or dried cranberries.

Happy Weekend !!