Munch: Snow Ice Cream

This is what we woke up to yesterday. It might just be the last big snow of the year (I hope so!), so we decided not to let it go to waste. But, to enjoy this fresh powder, we didn't pull out our gloves and hats. Instead...

we got out these ingredients!

1 Gallon fresh-fallen snow

1 Cup White Sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

2 Cups Milk

(We added strawberries)

Blend and mix! 

Enjoy and STAY WARM! :)

Munch: Indoor Smores

Smores are WAY too yummy (and easy to make) to only enjoy when it's nice outside. If you've got a wood-burning fireplace (thankfully we do!!), then you can enjoy some INDOOR SMORES!

Munch: Homemade Blizzards

Recent snowfalls in Western Pennsylvania put us in the mood to make some blizzards of our own! Here's how we do it...

Step 1: Find some willing little hands to help you unwrap your candies of choice. Landon was more than happy to help with this step...

Step 2: Chop the candies into pieces. Not too small though...everyone loves to find a few big chunks of chocolate in their blizzard!

Step 3: Add ice cream and milk (to desired consistency) and BLEND!

Step 4: Pour into cups, grab a few spoons, and....

Step 5: Deliver to happy family members! :)

Munch: Homemade Helping-Hands Granola Bars

'Mama, I'm hungry!!' Sound familiar? Well, May (bio below) has a great solution! Her homemade granola bars keep little hands busy and growling tummies satisfied. Thanks, May! I think my ever-hungry kiddo and I are going to make a batch of cran-raisin bars for tomorrow morning! :)

Most kids love granola bars, and as convenient as they are, they are loaded

with all kinds of extra preservatives and ingredients I can't pronounce.

Couple that with my 5-year-old's interest in making pretty much anything

she likes to eat, and away we went to the kitchen to whip some up from

scratch! They were way easier than I thought and she literally did it all

herself. All I did was put it in and take it out of the oven!

Mix 3 cups of quick cook oats, 1 cup chopper nuts (we used peanuts or you

can leave them out entirely), 1 cup chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup mini

marshmallows.

Then pour 14 oz of condensed milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 egg and 2 tbsp

butter.

20 minutes at 350, and that's it!

This recipe is a great base for adding whatever your favorite flavors are,

so your kids can have their own custom granola bars.

May is a stay-at-home mama to three active and creative wee ones (Richard is 10, Helena is 5 and Daphne is almost 2). She's fiercely domestic, hilariously traditional, and unexpectedly nerdy. Luckily married to the man of her dreams, she's big on knitting, playing in the kitchen and blogging. Getting crafty with her kids and getting domestic with her husband in the kitchen are two of her favorite things. She is thankful for God in her life and love in her home. She blogs regularly at http://www.soverydomestic.com.

Munch: Cocoa Krispy Turkey Treats

I wish that I could take credit for this yummy, fun snack. I would give credit where it is due, but the link is no longer working...thankfully I printed out the recipe last year! Landon and I had such fun with this activity! He was a great chef's assistant, a crafty little decorator, and a happy, satisfied snacker!

Bodies: Cocoa Krispies, 1 bag of melted rainbow mini marshmallows, 1/4 cup melted margarine...use slightly damp hands to shape into balls.

Gobblers: Cinnamon red hots or a red Mike and Ike.

Eyes: Baking Pieces (we used green ones)

Beaks/Feet: Candy Corn

Feathers: Add Fruit Loops, Rainbow Mini Marshmallows, Gum Drops to several toothpicks.

Here's one of Landon's: Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

Munch: Caramel Apples

A few weeks ago Landon and I saw beautiful (and expensive!) caramel apples in a candy store window. He  wanted one (and so did his mama), so I told him that we would try to make them. 

Ta da! They were surprisingly easy, and really yummy!! As an added bonus, they look very festive and cheery on my kitchen counter. Here's how we did it..

Ingredients:

1 package of Brach's Milk Maid Caramels

2 Tbsp of water

8-10 small apples

8-10 craft sticks

Toppings (see below)

1. Wash apples and remove stems. Insert a craft stick into each one.

2. Melt the caramel and water over very low heat (about 5 minutes).

3. Using a spatula, "paint" the caramel over the surface of an apple.

4. Immediately begin covering the apple with toppings. You might have to press them into the caramel...it hardens very quickly! For our toppings we used sundae nuts, candy corn, and sprinkles.

Enjoy!! We sure did! :)

Munch: Molasses Spice Cookies

These are a yummy fall favorite in our family. The recipe is easy to follow, and there are several steps that are very kid-friendly. Landon and I just made a large batch of these tasty treats, and then tromped together through the fallen leaves to our neighbors' houses to deliver warm platefuls straight from the oven. Mmmm...we may need to make some more!

Ingredients (for 3 dozen cookies):

1 box spice cake mix

1 tsp soda

2/3 cup shortening

1 tsp ginger

2 eggs

3 Tbsp molasses

1. Mix cake mix, soda, and ginger. 
2. Stir in eggs, shortening, and molasses. 
3. Beat til smooth (batter will be VERY thick). 
4. Cover and chill 1 hour before baking. 
5. Shape into balls...little hands are great for this! 
6. Dip top of each ball into sugar. This is Landon's favorite part. 
7. Place 2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. Cookies flatten quite a bit during baking.
8. Bake at 375' for 8 minutes. 
9. Let cool. Share with your little kitchen assistant!

Munch: Les' Get Well Soon Soup

Cold/Flu/Just-Feel-Yucky Season has officially hit our family. Landon was so sad today to miss out on two different family and friend get-togethers due to a 100.4 temperature. I was sad too...staying home meant that I had to figure out dinner! 

I am not a recipe follower. Generally speaking, I don't really like following steps, reading instructions, or having to stick to set perimeters. But, I love to create (surprise, surprise). So, I'm happiest when I'm "inventing" my own recipes. Today seemed like a great day for something like a...Get Well Soon Soup. With a sick kiddo, there was no time for a trip to the store, so I just used things that I found in the pantry and fridge.

While I'm wholeheartedly hoping that your family feels great throughout this season, I promise this soup will hit the spot if (oh, let's face it...when) they do come down with a case of Just-Feel-Yucky. My little patient happily gobbled up three bowls!

Pastina 

Baby Carrots (cut into pieces)

Canned Chicken (shredded)

1 Can: Cream of Chicken Soup  

1-2 Cups of Water 

Celery (cut into pieces)

Zucchini (cut into pieces)

3 T of Basil Pesto

Make pastina. Add everything else to the pot. Heat. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Serve with toast and applesauce. 

Munch: Purple Cow

A tasty (and easy!) treat to cool off the last, lingering, hot days of summer.

                 1/2 Cup:    Thawed Grape Juice Concentrate (or Grape Soda)

                  2 Cups:     Vanilla Ice Cream

                  1 Cup:       Milk 

                  2 Cups:      Ice

My little boy loves these...as much for the fun name as for the yummy taste! Blend ingredients together and enjoy! 

Munch: Party for Pooch!

Well, the infamous Smokey (click here to find out why...) turned one on Thursday. So...

Landon and I made him a little cake. We used this recipe. It's puppy (and people) friendly. 

We invited over a few sweet neighbor kids, sang "Happy Birthday, Dear Smokey," and (pretended) to blow out the rawhide that we used in place of a candle.

We, of course, gave the Birthday Boy the first piece. He loved it! 

And, though eating it LIKE Smokey certainly wasn't a requirement of the partygoers, little Makaylee just couldn't help herself! :)

Munch: Pattern Necklaces

An easy, yummy educational spin on the traditional candy necklace.

Materials:

String

Fruit Loops

*Lovey(s) optional*

1. Begin by securing one end of the string by typing a loop around a single piece of cereal.

2. Then, begin a pattern for your child (we, of course, used every color available...).

3. Next, teach your kiddo how to continue the sequence, and, if necessary, how to add a loop to the string.

4. Finally, tie the two ends together, wear, and ENJOY! :)

Munch: Edible Color Wheel

This activity is simple enough for a preschooler, but yummy enough that a preteen will gladly review the concepts covered! As a middle school art teacher, my kiddos loved the day we learned how to mix colors. It's easy, cheap, fun, and actually really good (gotta love salty and sweet at the same time!). 

All that you'll need is a plate (paper works well), a tub of white icing, a few pretzel rods, and food coloring (yellow, red, and blue). Give your child three globs of icings in the shape of a triangle (but with adequate space between each for mixing others). Then allow your kiddo to make one glob yellow, one, red, and one blue. The pretzel rods make great (and tasty) mixers.

Next, fill the empty space between each of the colors with a little bit of each of it's neighbors (a little red and blue, for example, will make a nice shade of purple). See picture above for guidance.

Red + Blue = Purple

Red + Yellow = Orange

Blue + Yellow = Green

Yum! Satisfied Monet's-in-the-making! :)

Have a fun Munch activity or snack you'd like to have featured here? 

Please send it to emailfunmom@yahoo.com.

Munch: Pull-n-Peel Play Cards

I've been trying to think of different ways for Landon to review his letters, numbers, and shapes...while having fun. So, yesterday I went to the candy aisle for inspiration. Always a good place to start...

Next, I cut 4 pieces of cardstock in half, and used a permanent marker to draw the images I wanted him to practice on the fronts and backs of the cards. This only took a few minutes. I made sure to mix in some pictures that were just for fun (though they are still great for working on eye-hand coordination), so that it wouldn't feel too much like a lesson.

And, what do you know...it worked!  Together we wrote out his whole name in Pull-n-Peel Twizzlers. It was fun! And then, he ate it. And then, he smiled. 

Mission accomplished. :)

Only 1 day left to enter yesterday's "Let's Cut Paper" Giveaway!! 

Please see post below for more details. 

Mid-Week Laugh: Add Yogurt

A couple of years ago Landon and I decided to make these yummy frozen treats. He was new to the "little kitchen helper" role, so I walked him through the steps. He helped me get out the strawberries...measure the lemonade....set the ice aside in a cup...all without a glitch! So, when it was time to "go ahead and add the yogurt now, honey," I was surprised, and tickled, to see this: 

For some "literal fun," with sayings, phrases, and homophones, check out Amelia Bedelia books (anybody else have very fond memories of these books?). If your kids are old enough, they can draw some silly illustrations of their own...they might just knock your socks off!! Hee Hee. :)

Munch: Watermelon Cake

A month or so ago, the cover of a ladies magazine (not sure which one...) showcased a beautiful watermelon cake. I checked it out in each check out line that I stood in...'okay, it's on it's side...they must have flattened the bottom, looks like it's a two-layer...'But, I never read the article or the recipe. 

Then, I forgot about it. Until Merideth at http://www.lifeat7000feet.com/ made watermelon cookies with her kids. I was reminded of the beautiful cake, and inspired to make it with my own kiddo, but knew that it was no longer being featured in any check out line. However, I tend to not follow recipes or rules very well anyway (especially when they involve creative effort), so we just set out to make it based on what I could remember. 

We started with a Red Velvet cake mix. Landon added chocolate sprinkles to the batter (to look like seeds), and we then baked it in two 9-inch pans. When they had cooled, we iced and stacked (red icing), then cut in half, and iced and stacked again (again with red icing). Next, I cut off a little bit of the rounded side to make a flat bottom for it to rest on, and turned it to look like a slice of watermelon. Finally we added green icing to the sides.

It certainly didn't turn out as pretty as the one in the picture (there are definite benefits to following recipes...and rules), but we had FUN

 making it, 

decorating it, 

and squeezing leftover icing into our mouths!
Yum!
Any great kid-friendly summer recipes? Please share!

Munch: Movie Night Mix-it-Up

Daddy was out of town this week, so Landon and I had a couple of movie nights. In our house, summer usually means later bedtimes anyway. In honor of his absolute LOVE of popcorn, I thought that I'd post a few fun recipes that I've come across to add some pizazz to this traditional treat. 

Jello Popcorn Balls 

(pictured above)

Cinnamon Candy Popcorn Recipe

Chocolate Popcorn

Kettle Corn

Bite-size Honey Popcorn Balls

Caramel Corn

And now for the Feature Presentation...I'm curious. 

What are your favorite kid movies, and why?

Munch: Pudding Beaches

-Vanilla Pudding or Yogurt

-Crushed 'Nilla Wafers  or Graham Crackers

-Blue Sprinkles

-Fish fruit snacks 

Assembly:

Put the 'Nilla wafers in a small, plastic baggy that zips closed and crush them with the heavy end of a butter knife. Set everything out in bowls, ready to dish out. 1) Pudding. 2) Top half of the pudding with sprinkles (water). 3) Top the other half with the crushed wafers (sand). 4) Lay assorted shark snacks on top.5) Eat and enjoy!

Recipe borrowed from: http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/

Munch: Dirt and Worms!

Recipe from: www.otterbox.com/dirt-and-woms-recipe/

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
• 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
• 15 OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided
• Gummy Worms! I like the sour ones. You choose.

DIRECTIONS:

POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Let stand 5 min.. Gently stir in whipped topping and 1/2 cup of the cookie crumbs.

SPOON into 10 (6- to 7-oz.) paper or plastic cups; top with remaining cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Throw the gummy worms on there just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Dirt Cups can also be served frozen. Prepare as directed; freeze 3 hours or until firm.

Munch: Homemade Ice-Cream in a Bag

A FunDad friend of mine does this simple, and yummy, little experiment with his science students each year. Thanks for sharing, Bill! Click HERE to watch a how-to video for making homemade ice-cream in a bag.

Hope you have a great, and FUN, Fourth of July, everybody!

Munch: Love you Berry Much, Dad Pie

This is what we'll be having to celebrate Daddy today. He's gonna LOVE it!

You can find the recipe here.