Chocolate Egg Nests

This is a SUPER simple recipe. Perfect for a preschooler to help make them and a wonderful treat around Easter time and Spring!

Ingredients:

• Chocolate Flavored Almond Bark
• Chow Mein Noodles (Kinda tricky to locate at the store...I found them at Publix in the ethnic food aisle)
• Jelly Beans

Directions:

1. Use a double broiler to melt half of the chocolate (or you can melt in the microwave)
2. Pour melted chocolate over 1/2 the bag of chow mein noodles. Stir really well to coat the noodles with the chocolate
3. Grab handfulls and put on wax paper then place three jelly beans on each "nest"
4. Repeat the process with the other half of the chocolate and noodles
5. Once dry transfer to serving platter

The kids all LOVED these as well as many of the adults! Simple, inexpensive and cute!

DIY Fruit Snacks

This is a GREAT preschooler activity and results in a decently healthy snack too!

Ingredients:

• 1 (3 oz) box of any flavor of Jello (Kye and I did orange bc I happened to already have a box of it in the pantry!)
• 2 (0.25) envelopes of unflavored gelatin (this was a tad tricky to find...it was on the VERY top shelf of the Jello aisle!)
• 1/3 cup juice (I used V8 Fushion for added nutrition) or water
• Ice Cube Tray (I've had these since I lived in a house with no ice maker in college)

Directions:

1. Put juice or water in a small saucepan and pour in all the gelatin packets (pouring in all the ingredients makes a great task for a small child)
2. Have burner on medium and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved (I did let Kye do the stirring!)
3. Pour into ice cube tray and let sit for at least 20 minutes

Result:

• This entire recipe cost hardly anything, was simple to do, took like 5 minutes to make and ended up being a yummy treat! I did not try one but Kye LOVED them as did his little sister :) We stored them in a ziploc baggie and they lasted a couple days, after that they got REALLY hard so this is something you want to make and eat pretty quickly. We will for sure be doing this again in the future!

Original Source: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/06/homemade-jello-fruit-snacks-recipe.html

Ultimate Sugar Cookie Recipe!!!

This is my favorite homemade cookie recipe! I learned the recipe in my foods class in high school and it still remains a favorite even 10 years later :)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup pancake syrup (it's the "secret" ingredient!)
• 1 tbs vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 tea baking soda
• 1/2 tea salt
• Sprinkles or other decorations if desired

Not the prettiest picture, they are MUCH tastier than they appear haha

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine sugar and shortening in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with mixer.
3. Add eggs, syrup and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
4. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl
5. Add gradually to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix until well blended
6. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 6 minutes, makes roughly 40 cookies

Tip: I like to flatten mine with the back of a spoon prior to baking...it makes them extra soft :)