Wilton Candy Kit for Pretzels

This kit was an impulse buy for me at the store this week. It turned out to be a pretty fun and tasty activity. If you'll notice on the box, some of the examples are fancy, using multiple colors. I tried to be fancy, too, but it was not as easy as it looked. I found it very difficult not only to paint with the chocolate, but also to actually see where I was supposed to paint.

Thinking this was beyond my artistic abilities and gaging my patience, or lack thereof, at the time, I decided I better just fill the molds with solid colors. It was very easy and practically mess free. The molds are washable, so I'll be able to do this project again next year.  It was well worth the $9 spent as all of the melting chocolate came in the kit.  It ended up making 18 chocolate coated pretzels.  

Mine may not look as pretty as the ones on the cover of the box, but my children love them! 

Crafting with Kids: Trim a Tree Craft

My kids love crafts, so I'm always on the lookout for simple ones that even my three year old can do. This Trim a Tree Craft comes from Family Fun Magazine online. 

Gather all your materials and make supply kits for your kids. Old pie pans are nice for holding supplies.  Since my kids are 3 and 5, I cut the craft sticks for them.  If you don't feel like dealing with the mess of green paint as suggested in Family Fun, just have the kids color the sticks with a green crayon or marker. 

I put dabs of glue on the sticks for my children, and then let them assemble and decorate.  If you don't have sequins, consider small stickers, foam shapes, pom poms, or glitter instead.  

Kids in the Kitchen: Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Bryce did not have school today because of the Columbus Day holiday.  I wanted to plan a simple Halloween activity that would be fun for the boys, which led to the chocolate pretzels.  This was a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) activity a few years ago, and I've been making them ever since.  They are fast, easy, cute, not too messy, and most importantly yummy.  

The first step is to gather the children, wash their hands and fingernails, and make them behave!

That's better!

Ingredients

1/2 bar Chocolate Flavored Almond Bark

1 bag pretzel rods

1 large shaker of sprinkles (I bought Halloween themed sprinkles from ALDI)

1. Cover a large cookie sheet with a strip of wax paper.

2. Melt chocolate in the microwave according to package directions.  Stir well.

3. Dip a pretzel into the chocolate and use a spoon to pour chocolate over the length of the pretzel leaving about an inch at the top.  ( I do three at a time.)

4. Hold the chocolate over the wax paper and shake on the sprinkles.  

5. Let set on the wax paper until hardened.  Then put them in the fridge for 10 minutes or so.         Store in a Ziplock bag.

These make cute gifts.  Put them in a clear plastic bag and tie with a ribbon.   

Kids in the Kitchen

I want my boys to be great husbands someday.  Part of this training takes place in the kitchen as they are already learning how to prepare some simple meals.  This Chicken Pot Pie recipe is perfect for preschoolers.  It is also a meal that I can keep on hand without worrying about spoilage.  Since I did not make it to the store today, pot pie is on the menu.  

The Ingredients

Prepared diced chicken

1 can mixed vegetables

1 box rolled dough

1 can cream of chicken soup

 

1.  Dump chicken, vegetables, and soup in bowl.

2.  Mix it.

3. Taste it.  (Optional)

4.  Place pie crust in pie and pour in the mixture.

 

5. Put on the top crust.  Fold and pinch the two crusts together.

6.  Fork it in the center and around the sides.

7.  Bake 375 for approx 35 min.

I love my pie shield!  If you don't have one, use aluminum foil.

Mini Banana Splits

My five-year old son, Bryce, is persistent at times.  I admit I say things just to appease him, not knowing at the time if I'll actually follow through with it.  "We'll see" was my mom's favorite answer, and I have now retained it as my own.  It works.

  After seeing a picture of a banana split at the 

local ice cream shop, he became obsessed with trying one.  We couldn't get ice cream without the banana split mom and kid dance.

Picture big round blue eyes with long black batting eyelashes and a slight pouting of the lips.  Employing that voice children universally use when they are trying to get something from you, he'd plead, "They look soooo delicious!"  

"Mmhmm," I'd reply. 

"Can I have one?" 

"Not today." 

"Sometime?"

"Maybe."

"I really want one. They look sooo yummy!"  He rubs his tummy for effect.

"I don't have money for that today." (This is another good one.)

"Aaaaww," he moans in bitter disappointment.  

Banana splits are too large and too expensive for a five-year old, but I could understand why he wanted one, so I say in my noncommittal mom voice, "Maybe I'll make some sometime."

"Okay!"  

Right answer!  We can now all be happy with our one dip and sprinkles.

 Well, I finally did make them.  Isn't it cute? 

Bryce even got to help.  The ingredients are basic. Just use a cookie scoop to make your dips mini.