Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
It’s still pretty warm outside and there’s plenty of time to enjoy these Granola and Yogurt Breakfast Popsicles, perfectly crafted for kids with dairy-free yogurt as the base. It all starts with organic almonds, which are grown on fourth-generation family farms in California’s sunny San …
A few weeks ago my 12 year old granddaughter spent the weekend with us. The Princess loves to bake and used to take monthly classes at a nearby bakery. The classes have been on hiatus over the course of the pandemic and she has been …
My two grandchildren spend a lot of time at my home and I’m always trying to come up with after-school snacks that incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables. Let’s face it, children don’t get enough of them in their daily diets.
Last week at the grocery store they were running a BOGO offer on Marzetti Old Fashion Caramel Dip. I decided to pick up two containers along with some fresh apples, pears and bananas. The kids love fresh fruits but they get bored eating them when they’re plain. In other words…with no dip or toppings.
What’s really cool is that you can enjoy the caramel dip chilled or you can put it in a microwave-safe dish and warm it up. I recommend it chilled when using it as a fresh fruit dip and warmed if you plan on drizzling it on top of ice cream or brownies.
On day one I served it with fresh apple wedges, on day two with freshly sliced bananas and on day three with pear edges. I was really surprised to see that the kids had no issues in gobbling up the fresh fruit. Matter of fact, each day they asked for seconds! I admit, I enjoyed some of it too. YUMMY GOOD!
If you’re trying to get your kids to eat more fresh fruits…there is NOTHING wrong with letting them “dip” the fresh fruit into a good dip (in moderation of course). In my honest opinion, I would rather my grandchildren snack on this than potato chips, candy bars, etc.
The Princess is 10 1/2 years old so helping me peel and slice the fruit has become her “Cooking with Kids” task the past few weeks. I wish I would of thought of this caramel dip a lot sooner.
Valentine’s Day is on February 14th and kids enjoy participating in the unofficial holiday just like the grown-ups. There’s a lot of different things you can do with the kids for Valentine’s Day and here are a few of our personal favorites. Arts and Craft …
Every year my sister-in-law hosts a family Christmas and holiday party for all of the kids in the family. At this party the kids will decorate their own gingerbread houses and she hosts a cookie decorating contest…complete with prizes for all of the kids! * …
Earlier this month I hosted my son’s 4th birthday party and it was in a fun carnival theme. I made all of the decorations, food, etc. myself, along with the birthday cupcakes. I enjoy hosting the birthday parties for my kids and this was no exception. Everyone had a great time.
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One of the snacks that I made for the party was the Rainbow Popcorn Recipe from Popcorn.org. I prepared it the day before, so that it was ready the next day. The kids loved seeing all of the candy sprinkles mixed into one of their favorite snacks…Popcorn! It will make approximately 8 cups. You can serve it all in one bowl or put it into colorful snack baggies. That way each child has their own and you won’t have dirty hands in the bowl!
You can find adorable individual serving containers, party bags, foodie bags, etc. at your local party supply store or from Amazon to go along with any party theme you may be doing. Let’s face it, kids love colorful sprinkles!
Rainbow Popcorn Recipe
2 quarts (8 cups) popped popcorn
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 pkg. (3 ounces) gelatin dessert powder, any flavor
Sugar sprinkles, optional
nonstick cooking spray
Preheat oven to 250º F.
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or foil; set aside. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray (to reduce sticking) and place popcorn inside; set aside. Heat butter, corn syrup and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to blend. When butter is melted, stir in gelatin until completely dissolved.
Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Immediately pour hot mixture over popcorn and stir to coat completely. Spread onto prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar sprinkles, if desired. Bake 12 minutes; cool in pan. Break into small pieces to serve. Store in an airtight container.
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My granddaughter is 8 1/2 years old and has been helping me out in the kitchen since the age of 4. When we cook and bake together we’re spending quality time with one another and she’s learning important life skills. As an added bonus, we …