baking rainbow {cup}cakes with kids

One of our favorite activities from rainbow week was baking rainbow cakes! The children love cooking and/or preparing food in our classroom so I try to arrange something a couple times a month. Baking rainbow cakes came about after a lively reading of Bunny Cakes. The children decided we should bake a cake, knowing the following week would be our rainbow week, I asked if they would like to bake rainbow cakes. The cheer was affirmative and so I planned.

For this activity we used a box mix. The children all sat together at our main activity table while we discussed the ingredients used in cake-making. Some of the children remembered that Ruby used milk and eggs to bake Grandma's cake and so I showed them the eggs I had brought and talked about the niftiness that is a cake mix. We sat at our tables and reviewed ingredients before I began mixing. The children took turns passing the bowl of dry cake mix around for a whiff. They were quite excited.

After I had mixed the batter up, we portioned out the batter into some white classroom bowls purchased from the discount store. I prefer to use real dishes as opposed to disposable when we can. The children took turns picking out one of the colors from the rainbow, with the last two colors being happily claimed by the last two children (we had six that day so it worked out perfectly!) They quickly got to mixing. I forgot our wooden spoons so plastic it was, drats!

When we bake in our classroom we use our Baby Cakes cupcake maker. I found it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $5 after a big sale and some coupon magic! The maker does not heat up until you plug it in and there are eight mini cupcake wells inside. We have used it for cupcakes, muffins, and pie. I love it! The children waited patiently for their turn to drip, drip, drip a rainbow of batter into their cup. I made a quick diagram of whose cupcake was whose on a piece of scratch paper.

After 10 minutes the cupcakes were done! The cupcake maker does get hot so make sure there is an adult near it at all times or that it is tucked away from anxious little hands. The first batch of cupakes were gently scooped out with a silicone spatula and placed on a place in the order they baked and set aside to cool. The remaining batter (there was a lot of batter, I wonder if I could hack the recipe on the box with one scoop of cake mix) was scooped in by the teachers and enjoyed after class.

 
The children were presented with their very own mini cupcake on a plate with a dollop of whipped cream and a smattering of sprinkles. Had we had more time, we would have made the whipped cream in class but we were pushing it.

The verdict? Delicious!

cloud cookies in the classroom

I picked up two cloud cookie cutters through Amazon that we had been using at the play dough table for awhile. After a thorough scrub down, I brought them home and used them on a batch of store bought sugar cookie dough (NTS make your own dough next time) and brought them into school for the kiddos to decorate. Each child was given a small resealable bag that had a small spoonful of unsalted butter already inside. Spoons were brought out and each kiddo got to scoop a spoonful or two of powdered sugar and a drop or two of food color of their choice. In some cases, two colors were mixed...magic! We snipped off one corner of each bag and the children squeezed their frosting out onto their cookies. They were given plastic knives to spread the frosting and a smattering of large confetti sprinkles to decorate with. All kinds of fine motor action going on! The children love cooking and preparing food in the classroom and enjoy eating what they prepare even more!

fun with googly eyes: part two

If happiness came in a bag (and it wasn't chocolate) I do think it may be googly eyes. There is just so much one can do with these little guys. It being fall and all and almost Halloween I think a little extra googly eye fun is in order. Yesterday's post is a perfect example of how easy it is to play with these kooky things. Today, I want to show you how delightful a pack of eyes, a few toothpics, glue and paper punches or scissors can be. Viola...googly cupcake toppers! So, what are ya waiting for? Whip up a batch of pumpkin cupcakes or gingerbread muffins and while they are baking, let your kidlets loose to make all sorts of spooky-fun toppers. It's an impromptu party! Yay for Halloween!

Materials
*toothpicks
*scrap paper, printed paper, newspaper
*paint of your choice
*paint brushes
*cup o water
*glue and/or glue stick
*various paper punches or scissors
*googly eyes
*markers (optional)
To make the same style of toppers I made here, set out newspaper or phone book pages and watercolors or other paint and have your wee ones paint away. Set aside to dry and let them give a stir or two to whatever cupcake or muffin you are baking. I made gingerbread cupcakes from this recipe. Make sure to work in an area that is happy for spills and mess, use a splat mat or wax paper to protect your table top if you need to.Once dry, use a large scallop punch to punch out newspaper shapes, set aside. You can let your kidlets go to town here or you can give your paper a couple of folds and punch out multiples at a time. Use a smaller circular punch to cut out shapes from your printed or scrap paper. A solid page would be better for this but you can use whichever you want. Colored paper would be nice, and/or cardstock. I used an old library brochure.Use the gluestick on the back of the scalloped circles and sandwich a toothpick between two of the. I found it easier to use a large gluestick and to put the circle on the gluestick rather than glob the gluestick all over the back of the circle. If your tots are going to use the gluestick like a pen, use a sheet of wax paper underneath to prevent extra sticking. Next up, repeat the gluestick process with the smaller circles, one circle per topper. You can do both sides but you don't need to.Finally, use a small dab of glue to anchor a googly eye or two to the center of each paper circles combo (try saying that three times fast). Lay flat to dry.When cupcakes are cool and yer ready to serve, plop a google-eyed topper into each cake and admire. Yay for impromptu party fun!

candy corn marshmallow treats

These just may be too much for even the sweetest of you sweet-toothers. Since chowing down on the mixing spoon, I haven't been able to touch another one. Oh the sugar rush! but if you like candy corn, these will totally make your day!
Materials:
*six cups rice cereal
*10oz marshmallows
*1 stick of butter sliced (1/2 cup)
*1/2 cup chopped candy corn plus a handful of whole pieces to garnish
*1/2 teaspoon of sea or kosher salt (optional)
*large baking dish
*large pot
*wooden spoon

First off, chop your butter up for easier melting. Your kidlet can do this with a blunt or plastic knife. Add to your big pan on low heat and stir, stir, stir away. You will want the butter to froth up and then brown a bit for an extra kick of flavor. When it browns, toss in a small bit of sea or kosher salt. while the butter is melting, pass off the wax butter wrapper (or small square of wax paper) to your tot and have them coat the inside of the baking dish.Once the butter is all melted, add your marshmallows and stir away. Mini marshmallows melt faster but large mallows look happier. You decide. I also have to be honest and tell you I added about 13oz of marshmallows as I like my treats on the gooey side. Stir until all your lumps are out or if you are impatient like me, allow for a few lumps.Pour cereal into melty marshmallow mix and give a stir. Before your cereal can soak up all the gooey goodness, make sure to plop your chopped candy corn into the fray. Chopping the candy corn allows for more biteability plus it melts a little so that the flavor can be detected throughout your final squares.

Scoop mixture out into buttered dish and push down with the spoon. If your mixture is too gooey you can use wax paper to flatten it down though I find that if it is too gooey for he hands it will prolly stick to the paper as well (unless of course, there is a non-sticky side, which there probably is but I just can't seem to figure it out).Press a few whole pieces of candy corn to the top for garnish and fun. Allow to set for a moment or too and then slice it all up and serve. You may want to serve it up with a cold glass of your preferred milk beverage. These squares are sweeter than sweet. A little goes a long way so you may wish to cut itty bitty squares.

Rainbow Rice Salad

More holiday fun inspired by that green day, this one is super easy and just might get some veggies into your wee ones. It's white rice based salad cooked in veggie broth and a wee bit o' turmeric. The broth adds some good old fashioned vitamins (use a low sodium if you can) and the turmeric gets the heart pumping and turns that bit of rice into gold!All you need to do is whip up a batch of rice, white rice makes for a more vibrant gold color but brown rice will fine. While the rice is cooking, grab you favorite muffin tin or a series of small bowls, a handful of vibrant veggies and get chopping.This is a rice salad that tastes just dandy all warm and toasty but is meant to be devoured chilled or at room temperature. Some of my veggies are raw and some are steamed, it just depends on the veggie.

Here's what I chopped up:
*red-radishes & dried cranberries
*orange-steamed carrots
*yellow-steamed squash
*green-steamed broccoflower
*purple-raw cabbage and red onionChop your goodies up to appropriate bight sized pieces and place each kind in one section of the muffin tin. Fluff up the rice and let your wee ones do the topping. Season the whole shabang with a pinch of salt and/or pepper along with a squeeze of an orange and you are good to go. I also added a bit of green onion to mine and some nuts, cause I like nuts.
If your tot isn't a fan of rice, cut your veggies into larger pieces and add some turmeric to a yogurt dip for the pot o' gold. You can do this with fruit too of course, turmeric is very subtle in flavor and al ittle adds a lot of color. Enjoy!

make a sweet snack mix

Snack happy and full of love, make a valentine’s day inspired snack mix for everyone to enjoy.This would be great for a small Valentine’s Day party or even a birthday party activity if you have a hike or walk planned. You can even host a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt after the snack is prepared or just mix up a smattering of small bags to give as valentines.

You will need:

*cereal of choice such as puffed rice or granola

*mini pretzels or pretzel sticks

*marshmallows

*dried fruit

*nuts if there are no allergies

*anything else you want to add

scrumdilly-do it!

Set out your ingredients in small bowls or cups or maybe even a muffin tin. Make sure each child has a baggie and a spoon. Allow them to scoop up what they want to add to their mix. 

You can make up a large batch and have your wee ones scoop a bunch into small baggies. Tie the baggies off with ribbon, add a message from your kidlet and give out for Valentine’s Day. Make sure there are no nuts if there are any known allergies!

Or you can take your wee ones out for a walk and count how many red objects you see. Add a camera, make up teams and take pictures for the scavenger hunt. Whatever you do, it is of course, all about the eating of the snack happy love mix! Happy Valentine's Day!

Sandwich Bread to the Rescue!

For those of you who are in the frenzy of cooking up a turkey day meal, I give you a quick project that your children can make in the kitchen with what you have on hand. My love of baking came about at a very early age. My mother spent a lot of time baking and I always wanted to be a part of it. I had little patience to wait until I was "big enough" to use the "real" kitchen tools, my mother had to be quick thinking to create a diversion so she could get dinner finished. From allowing me to help out by rolling out pie-crust to making pie crust cookies or cracking the eggs or measuring the dry goods, she was always able to include me in the fun. Here is a quick and easy faux-baking project for your wee ones to whip up while you're basting that Turkey.

Sandwich Bread Turnovers

*a couple of slices of bread, white bread works best but any soft bread will do
*melted butter
*jam or peanut butter or cream cheese for filling
*rolling pin
*scissors
*clean paint brush or pastry brush
*fork
*cinnamon and/or powdered sugar

Set out your supplies so that everything is within reach.Have your wee ones cut of the crust of the bread using the scissors. Even plastic play scissors should work. For the very young, hand them a slice of bread and the scissors and let them play. Most of the bread may wind up in their mouths and what doesn't can still be used for something else.Roll each slice flat using the rolling pin. This is one of the best parts and I remember LOVING this. If you don't have a rolling pin, peel off the label of a soup can or other canned food item and wash the outside of the can thoroughly.Using the paintbrush or pastry brush, "paint" the edges of the bread with the melted butter. Your wee one can of course paint as much of the bread as they would like. If butter isn't your thing, try a wee bit of olive oil and some apple juice.Add a dollop of jam or other soft filling on one half diagonal of the bread. Fold over other half making a triangle.Using your fingers, push-seal the edges and paint on some more butter. Use the fork to crimp the edges and add a decorative flair.Sprinkle with cinnamon if you like, or powdered sugar and place on a cookie sheet. Pop into a 350F oven for about 20 minutes.Add a bit more powdered sugar, place on a fun plate, pour a glass of something yummy to drink, cut each tart in half to aid in cooling the hot filling and enjoy!While the turnovers are baking, you can ask your wee ones to cut the crusts up into small rectangles. Add them to your stuffing or make some milk toast. You can also freeze for another use. They're pretty good toasted in a pan with a dab of butter and some seasoning and then added to a bowl of soup or homemade mac & cheese.Happy Thanksgiving!

Frugal Easter Fun Part Three

Here's a "kidlet can do" cooking project to make use of all those blown eggs! Make puff pancakes!What you need:
*2 eggs
*1/2 cup flour
*1/2 cup of milk (I haven't tried this with soy but it may work)
*dash o salt
*cinnamon
*a lemon
*powdered sugar or sugar of your choice
*jam, fresh fruit or what have you
*muffin tins (this will make 12)
*kitchen timer
*measuring cups
*mixing bowl
*fork

First up, add a small pat of butter into each muffin cup and stick in the oven at 400F to preheat.

Let your wee ones take the fork to the eggs and have them mix them up all crazy like. The goal is to break the yolks and get your eggs mixed so they look light yellow. Add a pinch of salt and mix some more.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, have your wee ones measure out and level 1/4 cup of flour. Add this to the eggs and mix well using the fork. Add another 1/4 cup and mix some more until most all of the lumps are gone. While your kidlets are doing this, pull out the muffin pan from the oven. The butter should be melted and the pan will cool so your wee ones will be able to be near it. Or, you can melt the butter ahead of time and add a little to each cup so that the pan is certainly cool and won't burn your tots.Next, have your wee ones measure out 1/2 cup of milk and let them pour it into the bowl with the eggs and flour. Have them pour just a little at a time to best incorporate the mixture. Having your wee ones do all the measuring is an nifty way to introduce math and science to them. Use a one cup measure to help alleviate any anxiety. If using cinnamon, let your kidlet add couple of shakes to each cup in the muffin pan over the melted butter. Next, hand your wee one an 1/8 cup measure and let them add a scoop of batter to each cup in the pan. Use up all the batter you can and pop the pan into the oven. Set your timer for 15 minutes and gather up your lemon, sugar, jam or what have you.
When the timer goes off, use an oven mitt to remove the pan and set onto a heat friendly surface. Ooh and aah over how tall the cakes got and take some pictures for the scrapbook. Make sure you tell your kidlets how awesome it is that they baked these! The cakes will be warm to the touch so while they are in the pan you may want to sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice. Wait a few moments before adding the lemon as the lemon makes the cakes collapse a bit.Pop a popover onto a plate for your wee one, add some fresh fruit and jam and enjoy! Make a pot of tea and have a tea party! If you're not sure your kidlet will want to eat these tell them they're gonna make magic cakes and if they're still not buying it, don't worry. They got to practice their science skills and there will be more cakes for you!

This recipe can easily be halved to make just six "cakes". Or, you can make six egg-dense cakes with the original recipe. They won't puff up as much and will be more eggy. It's up to you, experiment!

Happy Bunny day!