Thanksgiving Ideas – for the kids

Kim

Over the next few days I’m going to post some different Thanksgiving ideas since turkey day is almost here! Today is all about making the kiddies happy (and keeping them busy!)

Harvest Blessing Mix – fun for the kids to make, and to give as gifts. Each ingredients represents something..

‘Cornucopias‘ can be made out of store-bought ice cream cones, then filled with treats. I’ve done these on a few occasions, and tried a couple of different ways. They are kind of a pain, but super cute in the end. If you have a steamer/rice cooker, that is the easiest way to do it IMO, however, also works. This definitely requires an adult (but the kids can fill them!)

These are filled with Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix.

“Acorn” Cookies – no bake, just assemble and eat!

More edible cornucopias! No recipe, just Bugles chips with the ends dipped in white chocolate, then dipped in sprinkles and colored candy pieces (these are Sixlets). I made a Thanksgiving Snack Mix with them one year.

What do you do to keep the kids occupied while the turkey is cooking?!

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Last Minute Halloween Treats

Kim

I pretty much do everything last minute. So…everything I do has to be quick and easy. If you are like me and really don’t have things planned out for this little holiday weekend we have coming up, or you just need another idea or two, here are a few Halloween treats I have done in the past…

Halloween Chicago Mix – I’m a huge fan of the sweet and salty combo.

Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix

Halloween Muddy Buddies

Halloween Candy Bark

Soft Batch Double Fudge Brownie Cookies or you could add Halloween candy or chocolate chips to my favorite chocolate chip cookie base

Cereal treats with fun sprinkles and/or candy mixed in – these are Rolo Cereal Treats with Brownie Mix

Homemade Caramel Apples – a little more labor intensive, but the kids love to decorate them.

Exhibit A

And I made all this for my son’s preschool Halloween party a couple of years ago (except for the pumpkin veggie tray). There isn’t a link for them, but the are pretty self explanatory – the gift bags have tags made out of foam sheets (from the dollar store). I traced cookie cutters and cut them out. Upper right – Popcorn Hand: plastic glove filled with popcorn with candy corn at the finger tips, Below that are Lollipop Ghosts: Tootsie Pops wrapped in a white napkin, tied with ribbon and ‘googly’ eyes stuck on (they had adhesive backs, but could be glued as well; the ‘witches hats‘ are fudge striped cookies (upside down) with Hershey Kisses on top (held on with melted chocolate) and decorated with green cookie icing, Pumpkin veggie tray – broccoli, carrots, cucumbers with dip for “eyes”; Cookie Spiders: Oreos with green apple twizzlers as ‘legs’ and mini green MandM candies for eyes.

And these are one of my favorite creations ever…the recipe for the cookie wasn’t that good, so I’m going to try to find another one that works. You need something that will not rise or spread a lot, like a shortbread recipe. I added green food coloring to the dough, shaped them, and decorated as creepy as possible. The kids wouldn’t eat them the year I made these! The fingernails (sliced almonds) are held on with strawberry jam, which gets oozy and gross while cooking. They are so awesome to look at…now to work on making them taste good 🙂 {They weren’t bad, just really bland.}

So that’s it. I’ll be taking my crew to a friend’s house to trick-or-treat and I plan on bringing chips and Restaurant Style Salsa; a variation of one of the above snack mixes, and if time permits. the creepy finger cookies! Oh, and an adult beverage or six, Ha! Have fun and be safe.

Bubble Up Apple Pie {4 ingredients!}

Kim

If you have been on Pinterest or have been following my blog a while, you are probably familiar with the “bubble up” casseroles. I have made several over the years, and I see new variations popping up all the time. It’s basically a casserole made with cut up biscuits and your choice of meats, cheeses, veggies, you name it. However, now I’ve discovered a dessert version *insert big smiley face*. Biscuits and sugar. Carbs on carbs. You know it’s gonna be good!

It’s not super pretty, but you could dress it up with a powdered sugar or cream cheese drizzle. I had every intention of doing that…but it just didn’t last that long. You could also serve it with some vanilla or butter pecan ice cream!

“Bubble Up” Apple Pie

1 (8-count) can of Pillsbury Grands Biscuits, cut into 8ths (I used reduced fat)

1 (21 ounce) can Apple Pie filling (I used the ‘no sugar added’ variety)

1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or cinnamon)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

*the original recipe called for 1 cup butterscotch chips, but I omitted*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray.
Open can of pie filling and take a sharp knife and stir around the can to slice up apples (just so they are not in big chunks).
Pour pie filling in a large bowl. Add biscuit pieces and apple pie spice. Stir.
Pour mixture into pan.
Top with chopped nuts, if using.
Bake 30 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned and cooked through (check the center for doneness)
Remove from oven and cool slightly. Add glaze if desired. Serve warm or room temp.

recipe adapted from

This was a quick and easy dessert to throw together on a week night. In my opinion, it’s best served the same day it’s made, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge and re-heated in the microwave. I’m seeing different flavor combinations in my future…cherry pie filling with chocolate chips for a Black Forest bubble up…blueberry with lemon glaze….and I’m sure I will think of more!

Speaking of more – other Bubble Up recipes I’ve tried….

Bubble Up Pizza

Bubble Up Taco Casserole

Bubble Up Cheese Bread

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“I can not tell a lie” or can you?! Talking Honesty w/our Kids – #GIVEAWAY #HTHonesty #sponsored

Kim

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Right? Isn’t that what we tell our kids? But then do they hear us tell someone “oh, I’m so sorry I can’t volunteer for xyz, I have a (made up) appointment” or “Oh, I love what you’ve done with your hair” just to turn around and tell someone how bad it looks. I mean seriously, haven’t we all told little white lies here and there? Please tell me I am not the only one who has been in a situation like that (because that will really make me feel like I have earned the Lousy Mother Award). Kids learn what they live. That’s a scary thought sometimes. So, how do we instill the values we want in our children? How do we begin those important discussions about things like honesty? First, as parents, if we are going to talk the talk, we need to walk the walk. {I’m trying, really, I am!} Second, we can open up discussions with our children. This can sometimes be difficult…especially depending on the child’s age. (I have a 13 yr old. ‘Nuff said.)

That’s why I am excited to share this new line of children’s books called The Principles of Our World, from . They are designed to help parents reinforce the importance of things like Honesty, Courage, Teamwork and more. I think it’s important to start these discussions early, and continue to reinforce them as they get older. My 6 y/o has just started recently with telling little lies like “yes, I brushed my teeth” when he didn’t. So this book came at a great time so we could talk more about our family values and review different scenarios before he is faced with them.

I really like the way the books are laid out..they are broken down into chapters, and each chapter gives a real-life situation in which the person has to decide the best course of action. The following is from the above pictured book Principle of Honesty…

As I reviewed the situations in each chapter, I would stop and ask what he would do in that particular situation before reading the resolution. It opened up some great discussion about how we always have a choice to make, and how important it is to make the right one. Honesty really is the best policy. And what about when we, as parents, screw up?! Well, for me, the best option is to fess up. Just say straight up…I made the wrong choice, I should have done this or that, and try to make it right. Kids are faced with all kinds of situations, and even though we try to arm them with the values and education they need, they are going to make mistakes along the way. So, they need to learn about taking responsibility for bad decisions. I always tell my kids ‘you did/said it, now own it’. If you do it, stand behind it or admit why it was wrong. It’s better to face it and get through it than to try to hide or ignore it.

GIVEAWAY –

Are you interested in viewing the Principles of Our World book series? They are great for parents or teachers who would like to read them to children (ages 4+) or for young, independent readers (ages 7+). I think they are a great resource to have, because really, can we have too much help raising children?!

Just enter via this

The giveaway will run through October 3, 2014.

Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with Harvest Time and I received compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

White Chocolate Popcorn {Party Favors}

Kim

Having your guests have a little something to take home at the end of a party is a fun thing to do. I, of course, like for it to be something edible. Everyone likes food right? If they are friends with me, the answer to that is yes. Because seriously, who wants to hang out with someone who doesn’t like to eat? Don’t answer that. You people out there who just “forget to eat”…I have issues with you. I’m kidding. Sort of.

For my sister’s baby shower, I made white chocolate popcorn with pink, green, and white M&M candies.

It looked cute bagged up, and it tastes good. We placed a framed sign on the table with the favors that said ‘Ready to pop’. My cousin made it and it was very cute (it was also done in pink and green), but somehow I didn’t get a picture. That’s the downside to hosting a party, it’s hard to get as many pics!

The popcorn was tied with pink and white curling ribbon and I found little strollers, pacifiers and baby blocks at a dollar store (The Dollar Tree), so we tied those to each bag. It’s similar to the Birthday Cake Batter Popcorn party favors I did for my daughter’s 10th bday party.

White Chocolate Candy Popcorn

*The amounts are going to vary depending on how much you want to make. We made 25 favor bags, and I am guessing it was about 2 cups per bag, maybe a little more. The recipe is for one ‘batch’ and I doubled it.

12 cups popped popcorn (1/2 cup unpopped kernels)

1 (24 oz) package of white almond bark or white chocolate chips, melted

*sea salt (optional)

desired candy or sprinkles

In a large bowl, pour the melted chocolate or almond bark over the prepared popcorn.
Stir to mix.
Spread chocolate covered popcorn out on wax paper.
*Sprinkle with sea salt if desired (this is not needed if using salted microwave popcorn. I used plain popcorn from my air popper) You can also skip the salt all together, but I like the sweet-salty combo.
Add candy to popcorn BEFORE CHOCOLATE HARDENS. Lightly press candy down onto the popcorn. (You can mix the candy in with the chocolate, but then it gets covered in white chocolate so it’s not as pretty. I like to add it on the tops, you just have to work quickly before the chocolate hardens.)
Once chocolate/bark is set, break apart and place in bags.

This simple recipe can be adapted to pretty much any party or theme. Just change up the candy used, add sprinkles, etc. I don’t recommend making it more than 24 hours in advance because the chocolate coating causes the popcorn to get soft…it’s still good however!

If looking for a good party punch, you can check out this post.

If looking for more baby shower ideas, you can check out my .

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Kid Friendly Salad

Kim

Am I the only mom in a constant struggle to get more veggies into my kids? I feel like it’s a never ending battle. My kids are SO picky. I heard a mom say the other day that her child would eat anything put in front of him…brussel sprouts, broccoli, just whatever. Well, I have had no such luck with any of my three children. My middle child is better about trying new things than my other two, but there is still no lovefest with vegetables going on around here. That’s why I try to be a little creative at getting them to eat more. Especially greens.

My family, and this includes myself, prefer raw vegetables over cooked. This means that we eat a lot of salads. However, my kids’ version of a salad is generally iceburg lettuce, cucumbers and carrots. And cheese. My oldest will drown everything in cheese if I let her.

I decided to change things up one night. I put the things I knew they liked in a salad on a plate, but I also placed some different things on there too. (I also had a few other things in separate dishes, like cheese, mandarin oranges, raisins.) I let them prepare their own salads. They thought it was very odd that I had chicken and potatoes and boiled eggs on the plate, but I told them to just give it a try. I didn’t force the issue or make them choose everything. The plate looked so pretty, I sent a picture to my sister. She responded with “are those chicken nuggets?” Why yes, yes they are. I knew I had to start things off with things they already liked. Grilled or boiled chicken would not have gotten a good response, but I’m working up to that!

My kids devoured their salads! They were much more adventurous when preparing their own salads than had I done it for them. My son wouldn’t eat the potatoes or eggs, but even he did better than I expected. Next time, I’m adding even more variety and see how it goes.

Are your kids good veggie eaters? If not, how do you get them to eat more or try new things? I’m open to suggestions…my 6 year old is my pickiest kid yet! {Of course, he did actually try something new the other night…he put hamburgers in gravy on a bun and called it a crabby patty! But hey, at least he ate it. First time ever eating any kind of hamburger!)

By the way, chicken nuggets and potatoes are actually really good in a salad 🙂

Sparkling Pineapple-Lime Punch {and Baby Shower Beverages}

Kim

Anyone who knows me knows that my sister is having her first baby very soon *squeal* and they also know that I recently gave her a baby shower. The colors for the shower were white, pink and green. As I was perusing Pinterest for ideas, I saw this punch recipe. The vivid green caught my attention and I thought it would look good on the beverage table with the pink lemonade we were serving.

A couple of things….first, those are mint leaves! For a baby shower, I probably should have removed the leaves, or really muddled them better. It kinda looks like my ducks are swimming in some very realistic pond water. (However, it gave me the idea that this punch would be awesome at Halloween. Take out the fruit and ducks, add in some creepy frogs/eyeballs etc…perfect!)

Other than the floating mint leaves/lily pads (haha) the punch was a pretty color and the best part – it was very good! Several people commented on it (and no one said it looked like pond water – except my middle child…which comes as no surprise to me. Who said honesty is the best policy? Oh yeah, that was me. *sigh*) It reminded me a little of a mojito, and you could easily add in some rum to make an adult, non-baby-on-board, beverage!

So – pretty color, tastes great, and EASY to make – that makes it a keeper in my book!

Sparkling Pineapple-Lime Punch

1 bunch fresh mint, stems removed

2 packs Kool-Aid Lemon-Lime Flavor Unsweetened Drink Mix

2 qt. (8 cups) pineapple juice, chilled

1 (2 L) bottle of carbonated lemon-lime soda, chilled (7-Up, Sprite, etc)

1 lemon, cut lengthwise in half, then sliced crosswise (I just quartered mine…oops)

1 lime, sliced

Muddle mint with the dry Kool-Aid. This can be done in the punch bowl or in a separate bowl using anything with a flat bottom or with a wooden spoon.
Once mint and Kool Aid are muddled together, pour in the chilled pineapple juice. Stir until Kool Aid is dissolved.
Add lemon, lime and 2 L soda just before serving.

Note: I made an ice ring with about a half quart of the pineapple juice, along with some whole mint leaves. This is optional, but helps keep the punch cold without watering it down.

Recipe Source:

The green punch, aka ‘green juice’ as my sister referred to it, was served in a punch bowl I’ve had forevah. The pink lemonade, with slices of lime, was served in a glass drink dispenser that I picked up at TJ Maxx or Marshall’s relatively cheap. A tip about the the drink dispensers with the spout at the bottom – they either have to sit on the edge of the table/counter or they need to be on some type of stand. An inverted cake plate works great if your dispenser doesn’t come with a stand! We also had water bottles available…

The labels were a free printable from . We just cut them out and used packing tape to tape them on. The tape also helps keep them from ripping. If your water bottles are going to be in ice, or are cold and going to ‘sweat’, you may want to consider laminating them first. Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat.

* Pinterest Board if interested*

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Homemade Chocolate Frosty – no ice cream maker! {#TruMoo #ad}

Kim

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of for . All opinions are 100% mine.

Don’t you hate when you get all excited about a recipe and then you realize it takes a special appliance or ingredients that you don’t have? That’s how I felt when I first saw a DIY frosty recipe floating around on Pinterest. I clicked over just to find out it required an ice cream maker. Now, I have an ice cream maker and I love it…but it’s one of those that requires ice and salt and needs to be monitored while churning, etc. Ain’t nobody got time for that. I break that out for special occasions. THIS recipe is different. No ice cream maker needed! And it uses common ingredients that you may already have in your fridge/pantry.

It’s thick and creamy and taste just like a Frosty from Wendy’s! But guess what…this one is made with light whipped topping, fat free sweetened condensed milk, unsweetened cocoa, and lowfat 1% TruMoo Chocolate Milk! Just blend the ingredients together and stick in the freezer for 30 mins to an hour, stir and enjoy!

My kids are so excited that I can make these at home, and I am excited that they are getting more milk in their diet (my 11 and 13 year old girls are not drinking enough milk these days). TruMoo Milk contains no artificial growth hormones, no high fructose corn syrup and contains 8 essential nutrients. (See )

This one was in the freezer for a full hour and was nice and thick and spoon worthy! If you take it out sooner, you can use a straw…just depends on your preference!

Homemade Chocolate Frosty

1 container of whipped topping (8 oz); frozen
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (8 oz) chocolate milk (I used 1% TruMoo)

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into freezer safe container and freeze for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from freezer and stir. Makes 2 servings.

Recipe source:

It’s easy and delicious. The leftover condensed milk can be stored in the fridge so you can make this again and again 🙂 We’ve already made it a couple of times!

If you are not a chocolate fan, that’s okay, because TruMoo also comes in Strawberry and Vanilla flavors. You can make your own special frosty drinks with whichever flavor you like best. .

*GIVEAWAY*
Would you like to try TruMoo too? All you have to do is leave me a comment answering the question “What TruMoo flavor are you most excited to try?” For an additional entry, like and leave a separate comment telling me you did so. I will be choosing 2 people to receive 2 FREE vouchers for TruMoo products. (US only please) Giveaway ends 8/14 (midnight, EST), winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to confirm win.

Delicious 5-Minute Chocolate Frosting

Kim

Over the years I’ve tried several different variations of frosting. Most are the same basic ingredients with slightly different sugar to cocoa ratios and varying amounts of added liquid (some call for milk, some cream, etc.). Finally, I think I’ve found THE one. This will be my quick and easy go-to recipe from now on because of its great chocolate flavor and super creamy, easy, spreadable consistency.

I love that it whips up in just a few minutes, with just a few ingredients.

And it’s creamy and spreadable..but not so soft that it slides right off!

You can take 5 minutes to whip this up with butter, sugar, vanilla, cocoa and milk or you can buy the canned version with palm oil, high maltose corn syrup, distilled monoglycerides, polysorbate 60, and the list goes on.

The key to a great frosting is not only the texture/consistency, but even more important…the flavor! The amount of desired chocolate flavor is going to vary from person to person. I love dark chocolate, but some of my family prefers milk chocolate. For us, I found the perfect compromise by combining regular and dark cocoa powder.

5 Minute Chocolate Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup cocoa (I used 3/4 cup regular Hershey’s cocoa and 1/4 cup Hershey’s Dark)

4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup half and half (mine was fat free, can also use milk of choice)

In a large mixing bowl, add softened butter and vanilla. Mix until creamy.
Add cocoa. Mix until blended.
Add 2 cups powdered sugar and half of the creamer (or milk). Slowly mix together (to prevent having sugar all over your entire kitchen!) Mixture is going to get thick.
Add remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and remaining milk. Stir until well blended and creamy.

If frosting is not at desired consistency:

-too thick? add small amounts of milk until desired consistency is reached

-too thin? add small amounts of powdered sugar or cocoa until desired consistency is reached

Recipe adapted from

NOTE: I made a double batch to frost this 4 layer cake, however, I had a lot leftover. It freezes great! Place leftover frosting in a sealed container in the freezer, when ready to use again allow to thaw and then mix well to “fluff” it up again!

My son was very specific on what kind of birthday cake he wanted for his 6th birthday. He wanted four layers, chocolate cake, chocolate icing, with M&M’s and Kit Kats on top! He also picked out his Lego candles. Nothing fickle about this kid…he knows exactly what he wants! What can I say…my boy has his mama’s heart and generally gets what he wants!

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3-2-1 Skinny Mug Cake

Kim

Many of you may have seen this before…I’ve seen it several times on various blogs. I first tried this out about a year ago, and I have no idea why I haven’t written about it before.

I think it’s because I can never get a good picture…mug cakes are generally ugly. I’m also usually in a hurry to stuff something sweet in my face if I am making a cake in a coffee cup in the microwave! You know, desperate times and all.

I can’t say that I love these cakes, or that they are anything gourmet, but I can say that when you are craving something sweet in a hurry, and do not want to totally bust the calorie bank, these fit the bill. I really like them for the convenience…my children love to make them, and my girls can make them by themselves. That way, when they want a sweet treat, and I don’t want the temptation staring me in the face, they can go make themselves a cake. They are satisfied, and there are no leftovers sitting on the counter torturing me with their existence.

(See…the photos aren’t very good. Gotta work on that I suppose…which you know, means making more cakes!) My kids have had a good time coming up with variations…adding hot fudge (pictured, which is why it looks so gooey), peanut butter, nutella, etc.

The “skinny” part comes in because they are low in fat..you are combining a pack of regular cake mix (any flavor) with a box of angel food cake mix…that’s it! Store the combined dry mix in a container or plastic bag and use “as needed”…which is often in my house. It gets the name 3-2-1 because you need 3 T. of mix, 2 T. of water, and 1 minute in the microwave. Super fast, super easy.

3-2-1 Skinny Mug Cake

1 box of cake mix (favorite brand and flavor)

1 box of angel food cake mix

Combine 2 cake mixes in a large container or gallon size bag. When you want a cake, get a coffee mug or microwave safe bowl, add 3 Tablespoons of cake mix, 2 Tablespoons of water. Stir until just combined. (Can also add in a tablespoon of hot fudge sauce, peanut butter, chocolate chips, etc.) Microwave for 1 minute. Add cool whip or frosting if desired.

*The best I could calculate, the mug cakes were approximately 4 Weight Watchers Point Plus points without any additional add-ins.

Do you have any single serving treats that you enjoy? Feel free to leave links or a recipe!

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