Christmas with Kids » recipes

98: Christmas Cookie Overview

Mama Elf — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 15:33:46 +0000

Do you bake the same cookies every year? In preparation for the big cookie baking season ahead, take some time today and look through your cookbooks for recipes you’ve always wanted to try. This is the time to get those out and do a test run. You don’t want to wait until the week you need 12 dozen cookies for the cookie swap! You need an opportunity to tweak it and make sure it’s going to work for you. Here are ten of my favorite holiday cookies:

Snickerdoodles
Shortbread
Thumbprints
Bourbon Balls
Rum Balls
Buckeyes
Haystacks
Gingerbread
Lemon Snowflakes
Turkish Delight (this is a 4-pack from Amazon, and my favorite brand!!! Authentic and delicious!)

Make a note of all of the cookies you want to try, print them out or copy them, and put them in a 3-ring notebook inside page protectors. This is a cheap and easy way to make your own personalized cookbook. For even more fun, you can make up your own cover page, or decorate the notebook as you like! Enjoy!

32: Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

Mama Elf — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:29:06 +0000

Everyone loves sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top, especially kids! This Thanksgiving, whip up a batch and get in the spirit of the holidays! Here are a few recipes and tips to get you started!

Sweet Potato Casserole II by Stephanie Phillips
Holiday Sweet Potatoes by Diana Rattray
Whipped Sweet Potato Casserole by Bea
Sweet Potato Praline Marshmallow Casserole

IMPORTANT: Do not have any distractions while the marshmallows are toasting under the broiler! Pay attention to the browning process. If they burn, just scrape them off and try again! We’ve all done it!

Yummy photo courtesy of Kathryn Rotondo. Thanks!

42: Birthday Cake for Jesus

Mama Elf — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:29:12 +0000

Rhonda, a fellow elf, sent in a favorite family tradition:

“Every year on Christmas eve, we bake a birthday cake for Jesus. We light some candles and sing Happy Birthday. We have decided his favorite cake is probably chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.”

My daughter thinks this is a great idea! Kids love birthday parties and it’s a great way to add another Jesus-focused element into your Christmas celebration.

Photo courtesy of Tim Notari.

50: Day Fifty Checkup

Mama Elf — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 04:01:07 +0000

Today, let’s take some time to check our progress. How are you doing with the first 50 days of preparation for Christmas? Do you know where you’re spending Christmas this year, or are you playing host/ess? Menu? Guests?

Have you scheduled a family portrait sitting and selected/ordered Christmas cards?

Are you handmaking gifts this year? Knitting projects? Soap? Exploding cards?

Have you tried at least one new cookie recipe? Please say that you have! Everyone loves cookies!

Make your lists and check them twice! Put them all in one place: a notebook/planner or PDA/smartphone. Stay on top of it this year and don’t be caught by surprise a month from now.

Photo courtesy of Adam Smith

51: Christmas Cookie Remix #2

Mama Elf — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:01:59 +0000

It’s time for another Christmas Cookie trial run! This is the time to try those new cookie recipes out before you’re committed to making 13 dozen for a cookie swap. Make a batch and send them to work with Dad, or pack them in the kids’ lunches this week!

Go back to Day 90 Post for instructions!

54: Easy Suppers for Busy Times

Mama Elf — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:47:17 +0000

Christmas can be a hectic, overscheduled time of year. One very easy way to keep your family healthy and sane is to have a simple family dinner together as often as possible. This is made even easier by cooking in a slow cooker or picking up a prepared rotisserie chicken from your local market or Sam’s Club (my favorite for under $5!)

Family dinner guru Leanne Ely has some wonderful menu plans for slow cookers (crockpots) and rotisserie chickens at her website SavingDinner.com.

Her recipes are fantastic and are sure to please even the pickiest eaters in your family! Give them a try!

Photo courtesy of mercedesfromtheeighties.

55: Experiment with Fondant

Mama Elf — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:01:46 +0000

Fondant is a wonderful thing. A versatile confection used in everything from cake decorating to homemade candies, you can make fondant at home and experiment with using it for your special occasion sweets. I’ve made fondant mints that used peppermint extract and pressed them into candy molds. They were a big hit!

You can shape fondant just as you would marzipan. It makes great edible decorations for any dessert tablescape! You are only limited by your imagination. If your kids can make things out of playdoh, they can have fun with fondant! Tell us about your own experiments in the comments section! Have fun!

Brilliant cake and photo courtesy of Karen Armstrong and Manassas Cakery

57: Get Creative with Knitting Hats

Mama Elf — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:01:22 +0000

I’ve been trying to find the perfect hat to knit to convince other people to knit for fun, and I think I’ve found it! Who can resist this baby hat? For the experienced knitter, this could be an afternoon project. In fact, most knitted hat projects can be made in a day or two. They make wonderful gifts and kids love them.

If you get totally hooked on knitting hats, you can knit a few for charity. Here’s a list to get you started:

Knitting for Charity

Head Huggers – pattern list

Free knitting hat patterns

I’ve knit several hats for cancer patients in my life, and it’s been the single most rewarding thing about knitting. The care, love, and prayers that fill each hat you knit is special for the recipient and the giver. A hand-knit hat is a treasure! Get out those needles and get knitting!

Fabulous knitting and photo courtesy of Robin Zebrowski.

79: Cookie Time Remix

Mama Elf — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:00:13 +0000

Alright, elves, it’s time to try out another cookie recipe! You know the drill. Check back here to refresh your memory.

Wonderful photo courtesy of Scott Schram.

90: Try a New Cookie Recipe

Mama Elf — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:01:09 +0000

Last week, I asked you to review your cookbooks and look for cookies you’ve always wanted to make. Well, today, think about making one of those new cookie recipes. You can do it today, or this week some time, but try one out! Your kids will be so thrilled to get them in their lunches this week! I’d like to hear about everyone’s cookie adventures, so post a note in the comments when you’ve completed this mission! Happy baking!

Here’s one of my favorites for fun! These are easy!

Lemon Snowflakes Recipe (pdf)

Lemon Snowflakes

INGREDIENTS

1 package lemon cake mix
2 T lemon juice (or 1/2 T lemon extract)
1 egg
2 1/4 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cake mix, lemon juice, egg and whipped topping together. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended (batter will be sticky). Drop batter by teaspoonfuls into the confectioners’ sugar and roll to coat. Place cookies onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

TIPS

Using a small scoop makes scooping out the batter much easier.
Use parchment paper or they will stick.
Making sure the cookies are lightly browned is the key to their doneness.
You can make modifications to this recipe such as using chocolate cake mix and chocolate whipped topping, or any other flavor cake mix. It’s so easy!