Fruit and Jello Jiggler Sea Creation

 The three year old little girl I nanny had a sea creature birthday party so I made her a Jello Jiggler treat. It took me awhile to think of edible things I could use for the treat but was happy with the results. It's a little busier than I would have liked but I knew how much she would appreciate the gummy fish addition.

Things needed

Sheet pan

Cooking spray

2-6 oz packages of blueberry jello

1 orange

1 plum

2 or 3 mandarin oranges

Grapes

Raspberries

Black food marker

Gummy fish

Directions

As you can see I used half of a large orange for the crab's body and part of the other half for it's pinchers. The legs and rest of it's pinchers are made with mandarin oranges, with halves of a grape for it's eyes. I used food marker for the pupils on the eyes but you could easily use a little frosting and chocolate chips. The jelly fish is half of a plum for the body and the other half cut into legs. The gummy fish came from Oriental Trading. I put the bodies of the crab and jelly fish in place after spraying the sheet pan and then carefully poured in the jello. About an hour before the jello was totally set I added the rest of the items, pushing them in a little so they would stay in place.

Jello Jiggler Recipe

https://www.squirrelsofafeather.com/jello-jigglers/#mv-creation-1-jtr

I doubled the recipe.

Pretty Pink Pig Pumpkin

 

This year for Halloween the little girl I nanny was dressing up as a cow and her parents and dog got in on the fun by dressing as a farmer, sheep, and pig. I decided to make a pig pumpkin to go along with the theme. I used little styrofoam balls that I cut flat on 2 ends of balls for the feet and nose.

 

Baby Shark Fruit and Jello Jiggler Treat

I came up with this appetizer treat for my grandson's Baby Shark birthday party. I started out by drawing a shark pattern to use so I could cut it out of the pan of blue jello jigglers,https://www.food.com/recipe/jello-jigglers-for-cookie-cutters-111982. I chose an extra firm recipe because I figured it would make cutting the shark out easier than the normal recipe. I used fruit dip for the shark's tummy https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/cream-cheese-fruit-dip/ ,oreo mini cookie opened up for the eye with decorator gel for the pupil, mint leaves, grapes, mandarin oranges, blue berries, and grapes. I laid the mint leaves on the pan before pouring the jigglers in the pan. When the jigglers were set, I used a knife to cut around my shark pattern and filled that all in with the blueberries and dip, and then added the other fruit on top of the jigglers, pressing them in slightly so they wouldn't roll around if I had to move the pan, and wallah! it's done!

Buffolo Plaid Birthday Party

We had a great time celebrating our grandson's first birthday yesterday! It's such a blessing to have him close by and to watch him grow. I just thought I'd share some of the decorations we used to celebrate.

I went to my favorite butcher and picked up some yummy garlic beef sticks to build a cabin. I used food coloring to tint my dill dip blue for the sky and green for the dip behind my "grass". I cut pieces of  green pepper and celery for the grass. As you can see, pea pods make great pine trees and cauliflower are perfect for clouds.

 I copied this idea from a banner found on Etsy. I was able to find the paper backed burlap at Joann Fabrics. I printed the lumber jack plaid patterns onto card stock using a link I found online and then cut the letters out with my Cricut machine. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Lumber+Jack+Pattern&FORM=IRIBIP

 Marek as a lumber jack!

 Not the clearest picture, but the banner I made for his high chair, also using the lumber jack plaid I printed onto card stock and the paper backed burlap.

 The sign thanking all those who attended the party. I used a link to print the free sign. https://amylanham.com/lumberjack-birthday-party-decor/

 And finally a picture of us with the birthday boy! Happy birthday Marek!!!

Mother's Day Craft

 For Story Hour this week we made a flower pot with some dessert cups and straws I picked up at Tuesday Morning, and I also made use of my Cricut to make the flowers and leaves for the kids to use on their project. If you don't have a Cricut it would be simple to make a flower template using free clip art from online. Since I'm working with a large group of young kids (most who are unable to handle a scissors as of yet), it just makes it easier for me and the moms.

I simply turned the dessert cups upside down and punched a hole in the center of the cup using a sharp tool. I printed up labels for the kids to apply to their flower pots.
It works best to glue the two sides of the flower together with the straw in the middle. You can cut the straw to the height you'd like. After the flower is glued the kids can add their thumb prints to the flower and then add the leaf and put the flower in the pot to dry. Adding candy to the top is optional. They can also color the top of the cup as shown below.

 

Happy Birthday Jesus Cupcakes and Manger Food Tray

 I was looking for some ideas for a dessert and food tray for our Birthday Party for Jesus. I wasn't able to find anything on Pinterest, so it forced me to come up with something. It was pretty fun!

What You Need For Cupcakes
Cupcakes of any kind with white frosting. Here is the recipe that I used, http://www.annies-eats.com/2010/09/17/red-velvet-cupcakes/ .

Circus Peanuts (I got mine from The Dollar Store)
Shoestring Potatoes
Butterscotch Chips
Black Food Decorating Pen
Waxed Paper

To assemble the baby Jesus start by melting the butterscotch chips in a mini crockpot or in a small pot on the stove. Be sure to spray the crockpot with Pam before melting the chips. Put a dab of butterscotch on waxed paper and start laying the potato sticks out as the bed of hay.

Add the circus peanut and more of the potato sticks while the butterscotch is still warm, then add the little eyes and mouth.

Place "baby Jesus" on top of frosted cupcake and add the frosting swaddling clothes  .

 

I wasn't able to make my cupcakes the day of the party and found that the shoestring potatoes lost their crispness after sitting for a day and a half. So in the future I would make them the day of.

I added an updated version of the tray now that I have a star cookie cutter. I stacked the cheese angels and star 4 slices deep so they were even with the blueberries.

Celebrating Spring with Flower Pot Ice Cream Dessert

 I am Story Hour Coordinator at a Christian gift and book store and love my time with the kids! I decided to put together a spring story hour to celebrate the season. Our typical story hour consists of a bible story along with two other stories, songs with actions, and a craft to coincide with the bible story. There really is no spring bible story, but I wanted to celebrate the season with the kids and show them how we are like God's plants and need to be fed by God's word. I picked up packages with 6 gladiola bulbs per pack from the Dollar Store and made up these little packets with this simple poem. 

I couldn't find a Christian kid's song to go with our celebration of spring, so I decided to come up with my own. What kid doesn't know the song,"Let it Go", from Frozen! I put these words to the refrain from the song.




                  

                         Let us grow, let us grow                        
                         Let us grow in God's holy word.
                         Let us grow, let us grow
                         Grow to love him more and more!

                         I want to share what God has to say,
                         His Son died for me
                         So I can live in heav'n one day!

Our craft was inspired by something I saw on the Food Network by the Pioneer Woman. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/ice-cream-flower-pot-desserts-recipe.html  I have a limited budget so I used paper cups instead of clay pots and Dollar Store flowers instead of fresh flowers.