Let’s trim the Christmas Cone! This is relatively inexpensive so that you could do it with your students at your Christmas party for a fun snack that they would create. Or do it during your Christmas Tree theme day.

 Ingredients:

• Sugar cones
• Green frosting (I bought a pre-colored tube. You could buy a can of white frosting and then color it with green food coloring.
• Green food coloring
• Sprinkles, I used two different kinds. (You could also use red hots)
• Popsicle sticks
• Waxed paper

 Directions:

• Make sure everyone has washed their hands.
• Give each child a sheet of waxed paper to place their cone on.
• Give each child a dollop of frosting, Popsicle stick and cone.
• Children frost their cone with the Popsicle stick.
• Give them some sprinkles, or red hots.
• Children decorate their tree by pushing the red hots into the frosting.
• If they are using little sprinkles they can roll their tree onto them.
• When they are done, take a group picture and then the children can eat their trees.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® original dried cranberries
• 2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips
  
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, mixing well.
• Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
• Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition.
• Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

My two favorite cookies to eat that my grama Lydia used to make were her oatmeal raisin cookies and her sugar cookies that we put our thumbs in and filled with a dollop of jelly.  During December tho' the most fun cookie we made were her gingerbreaad cookies.  She made them with black strap molasses which she believed was a cure-all for all sorts of ailments.  I don't think our cookies tasted all that fine because of all the gobbledy gook we loaded them with, but oh what fun we had making them, licking our frosting spoons and then decorating them.  I carried the tradition on with my children when they were really little, and plan to do it with my grandchildren too.  Click here for grandma Lydia's gingerbread recipe from my heart to yours.  There are two; one with molasses, and one without. Gingerbread Recipes

Gingerbread Play-dough Recipe: Now is a great time to mix up a batch of gingerbread play dough! Put it in your kitchen center or have a 15-minute whole-group gingerbread play dough center and give each child a cookie cutter and a small ball of gingerbread play dough to make their very own gingerbread play dough boy!  Click on the link for this delicious smelling recipe. This is a fun activity to do after you've read the story.   Gingerbread Play-dough recipe

Christmas Greetings-Christmas Blessings Snack

Ingredients:

• Bugles® brand corn snacks
• Small pretzel twists
• Chex Mix
• Craisins
• Peanuts/Cashews
• Red and green M&Ms®
• Hershey's® chocolate kisses

Directions:

• Use even amounts of all the ingredients.

• Mix together in a large bowl.
• Each ingredient in the snack symbolizes something associated with Christmas.

Bugles : Symbolize trumpets reminding us that the world is heralding the news that Jesus is born

Pretzels : Symbolize arms folded in prayer thanking God for the reason for the season; LOVE the greatest gift of all.

Chex Mix:  Symbolize a blanket of warmth, comfort and joy

Craisens : Symbolize the holly berries that decorate our homes

Peanuts or cashews: Symbolize the planting of seeds of thanksgiving and peace on Earth.

M&Ms:  Symbolize sweet Memories and the Magic of Christmas

Hershey Kisses: Symbolize the love of family and friends.

If you'd like to make this snack as a gift and put it in a tin along with a note, click on the link to print a copy.   

Christmas Blessings Snack Note

To make this adorable Hershey Kiss Mouse click on the link. His tail is the stem from a cherry that's dipped in chocolate. His ears are almonds. MMMMM-MMMM delicious!

Cinnamon Ornaments  

Are something fun you can do with your entire class.  They make a nice gift that is relatively easy to make, incorporates math extensions, and is inexpensive.  If you had parents sign up at your Open House to bring things in when needed, draw from that list for your ingredients, or tie it in with your snack time and ask that parent to donate bulk size jars of applesauce.    A bonus of this activitiy is that  your room smells fantastic!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cinnamon (The Dollar Store sells a large bottle. Wal-Mart has 2 for a dollar.)
• 1 tablespoon cloves
• 1 tablespoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons white glue
• 3/4 cup applesauce (Let drain in a strainer for several hours)
• Optional: cinnamon oil

1. Mix cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg together
2. Add applesauce & glue.
3. Work mixture with hands until smooth and well mixed.
4. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness cut with cookies cutters. (I use small hearts )
5. Use a coffee straw to make hole for hanging.
6. Put on wire rack to dry at room temperature for several days.
7. Turn twice daily so they don't curl.
8. Use ribbon to hang.
9. So they smell extra strong of cinnamon I spritz with cinnamon oil, and then let dry again.
   
10. How many you get from one recipe depends on how big your cookie cutter is. 
    
11. Wrap gently in tissue to send home.
    
12. Remind students that they will break if they are not careful.
    

Well that's it for Dishin' Up With Diane for this month. I'd love to hear from you if you have a favorite December recipe or holiday tradition, or if you tried one of my recipes and had fun with it.  Drop me a line at diane@teachwithme.com   In the meantime, I hope you have a simply wonderful time with your kid in the kitchen!

     The snow’s melting; look at all that mud! That’s what these no-bake cookies remind me off…little mud pies! And that’s just one of the reasons they are so much fun for kids to make.

No-Bake Oatmeal Mud Pie Cookies

Ingredients:

• ½ cup milk
• 1 stick margarine
• ½ cup cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups oatmeal
• ½ cup peanut butter

Directions:

• Blend cocoa, margarine, sugar, milk, and salt together in a pot.
• Put pot on low heat and cook ‘til blended and melted together.
• Remove from heat.
• Add vanilla, peanut butter and oatmeal.
• Mix well.
• Drop from spoon onto wax paper.
• Let cool.
• Mmm mmm delicious!

Build a Sweet Treat Snowman!

Ingredients per person:

• Hershey Chocolate Kiss
• 3 large marshmallows
• 1 piece of red licorice
• 2 thin stick pretzels or 2 shoestring potatoes
• 6 raisins
• 8” paper plate
• Popsicle stick
• Toothpick
• Small tube of red gel
• 1 can of white frosting

Directions:

• Cut raisins into 1/3rds so that students can use them for eyes, noses, and buttons.
• Cut licorice in ½ and then in ½ again and then slice it down the middle lengthwise. This is the snowman’s scarf.
• Pass supplies out to students.
• Have students design their snowman on their plate.
• The kiss is the snowman’s hat.
• Give each student a spoonful of frosting. They use their Popsicle stick to “glue” their marshmallows together and stick their accessories and facial parts on. The raisins might stick on by themselves if they pick at the inside with the toothpick.
• Children can poke a hole in the sides of the snowman with the toothpick and insert their potato sticks/pretzels for arms.
• Adult puts a red gel smile on each snowman.

Frosted Face Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• Pre-made sugar cookie dough
• 2 cans white frosting
• Popsicle sticks
•  Things to decorate the snowman face: Raisins, red hots, M&M's, Skittles, colored gum drops, Fruit Loops etc. 

Directions:

• Follow directions on cookie dough and make circular cookies.
• Set up the decorations on paper plates at a table. Children choose which things they want, putting them on their plate and then return to their seats to decorate. 
• Give each child a spoonful of frosting and have them frost their cookie "face" with the Popsicle stick and then decorate their snowman. 
• Take a group photo of all the frosty faces and then "crunch-nibble-munch!"

Snow Covered Logs

Ingredients per person:

• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• ¼ cup shredded coconut (There will be some leftovers.)

Directions:

• Cut banana in half lengthwise
• Spread peanut butter on the halves.
• Press together like a sandwich.
• Sprinkle the coconut on a sheet of waxed paper.
• Roll the banana in the coconut until completely covered.
• Chill in fridge for 15 minutes.

Purple Sauce Slurpies

Ingredients:

• 6 cups applesauce
• 3 cups grape juice
• 24 paper Dixie cups
• 24 Popsicle sticks

Directions:

• Combine applesauce and grape juice in a large bowl.
• Stir until blended.
• Spoon equal amounts into Dixie cups.
• Freeze for 1 hour and then insert Popsicle sticks.

From a Liquid To a Solid

In January we study liquids turning into solids and then melting when they get hot.

A fun way that I demonstrate the liquid to a solid with my students is making Popsicles.  As a behavior modification technique I write the word Popsicles on the board and circle a letter at the end of each portion of our day, if everyone has performed/behaved appropriately.  It helps them clean up, line up, stay focused, get their work done etc.  When all the letters are circled, we take the Popsicles out of the freezer and see that the liquid has turned into a solid!  We also let one melt in the sun on our shelf to see a solid turn back into a liquid.

Popsicles with a Punch

Ingredients:

• Red Hawaiian Punch or juice of your choice.  This is my Y5’s favorite.  The blue Hawaiian punch is also a fun color for winter.
• Tupperware molds or Dixie cups + Popsicle sticks.

Directions:

• Pour liquid into molds.
• Put covers on
• Put in freezer
• Run under a bit of warm water to loosen the molds
• If you don't have molds, use Dixie cups, fill them 1/2 full and freeze for 1 hour.  Insert Popsicle sticks. 
  
• When ready to serve, remove paper.
  

Dirty Snow-Ball Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 15 oz. package Hershey Kisses
• Powdered sugar

Directions:

• Combine sugar, butter and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until fluffy.
• Add nuts and blend.
• Chill the dough.
• Shape dough around unwrapped individual chocolate kisses.
• Put on greased cookie sheet.
• Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Set pan aside to cool
• Roll in powdered sugar ‘til completely covered and looking like a slightly dirty snowball.

Kool-Aid Cool-Snow Cones

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups crushed ice
• 2 Cups sugar
• ¾ Cup water
• 1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid

Directions:

• Combine sugar and water in a pot and bring to a full boil.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in the Kool-Aid
• Chill.
• Crush the ice cubes in a blender.
• Put the ice in a cup or cone and pour the Kool-Aid syrup over the ice.
• Eat with a sippy straw spoon.
• I’ve also used real “just-fallen” clean snow for that special touch of “winter wonderland magic!”

Yogurt “Snow” Fun Pops

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vanilla yogurt
• 6 oz. frozen orange juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

• Mix ingredients in large bowl ‘til blended.
• Pour into ice cube trays.
• Freeze for 30 minutes and then insert Popsicle sticks.

     Dreaming up frozen concoctions with a kid in the kitchen can be "snow" much fun, especially if your state is a bit on the warmer side!  I hope you have a great time with yours.  

     These recipes were all rather on the "cool" side, but January is also National Soup Month so why not have a nice bowl of your favorite some frosty day, especially if your state is on the colder side like mine is in Michigan.  MM-MMM-Good!  And you won't be alone while enjoying this comfort food.  According to Lifestyle Magazine approximately ten billion bowls of soup are consumed by Americans every year!  Bon Appétit!

You will LOVE LOVE LOVE these adorable "Kids In The Kitchen" fun activities this month  They are some of my favorite family traditions and recipes.  They also make a nice food-craft for your students if you're looking for something fun to include for your Thanksgiving Feast Day Celebrations at school, or just a nice treat for your children the day before the big holiday weekend to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving.

Grama Karis’ Gum Drop Apple Turkeys 

• 5 tooth picks
• 1 apple (body)
• 10 multi-colored gumdrops (1 has to be red for the wattle.) (feathers)
• 1 raisin (eyes)
• 1 Hershey kiss (head)

Background: Every Thanksgiving the guys would go deer hunting and the women would putz in the kitchen getting dinner ready. One of the things we’d do with the children while we were “watching” the turkey was make these adorable Gumdrop Apple Turkeys. Grama Flohr would bring all the supplies and each child would design their own gumdrop feathers so they could have a darling turkey sitting next to their plate.  At about the time we were getting finished with our creations the men would come home all red-faced, orange-clad and exuberant with tales of a near miss or a bull’s eye. After they’d shower it was time to eat, drink and be merry around a very thankful table.  I sure miss Grama K and those special memories. I hope you can make a gumdrop turkey and start some memory making of your own. It’s a wonderful family tradition.

Directions:

• Put two gumdrops on a tooth pick and put it in the back of the apple.
• I put 4 feathers on the turkey, but 5 also looks nice.
• You can make each feather have the same color gumdrops or you can have different colored gumdrops on each feather as shown in the picture.
• Put one gumdrop on a tooth pick (neck) + a Hershey kiss (head) and put this tooth pick on the front of the apple.
• Cut a red gumdrop in half and stick it tot eh kiss.
• Cut a raisin in half, and then in half again and stick these to the kiss for eyes.

Tootie Frootie Turkey 

• If you’d like to make this affordable to do with your class, as well as a cool math extension, do it with cereal. Children can sort the Tootie Frootie’s and make their feathers and neck all one color, like mine in the photo, or they can make all sorts of color patterns AB ABC or even ABCDEF as there are 6 different colors of Tootie Frooties! Tootie Frooties are made by Malto Meal. They are only $1.99 a bag as opposed to a more expensive box of Fruit Loops.  Send a note home asking parents to have their child bring in an apple. You could also ask 3 parents to donate a bag of Hershey kisses, Tootie Frooties, and candy corn.

Ingredients for ONE turkey.

• 6 tooth picks
• 34 Tootie Frooties  (feathers & neck) (6 for each feather.)
• 1 apple (body)
• 1 raisin (or yellow frosting) (eyes)
• 1 red jelly bean or gum drop (wattle)
• 5 pieces of candy corn (To hold feathers on toothpicks)
• 1 Hershey kiss. (head)
• Optional: Yellow frosting in a tube (For eyes.)

Directions:

• Stick 6 toothpicks in the back of the turkey a Tootie Frootie space apart from each other.
• Slide Tootie Frooties on the toothpicks.
• You can sort them and put one color on each toothpick, or choose to make a pattern.
• Put a toothpick in the front of the apple in the center.
• Put 4 Tootie Frooties on this toothpick.
• Slide a Hershey kiss on top of the Tootie Frooties.
• Cut a red gumdrop or red jelly bean in half and stick it to the kiss.
• Cut a raisin in half, and then in half again and stick these to the kiss for eyes.
• Or, using a toothpick, dot on two eyes with yellow frosting.

Pilgrim Hat Cookies

• 1 Round cookie  ( I use the kind that are chocolate on one side and vanilla on the other and have frosting in the middle.)
• 1 Large marshmallow
• Chocolate frosting
• 1 Cheerio or 1 yellow Tootie Frootie (buckle)
• Popsicle sticks.

Directions:

• Frost the chocolate side of the cookie with the chocolate frosting. I have my students use Popsicle sticks.
• Put some frosting on the bottom of the marshmallow.
• Press it down on the frosted cookie.
• Frost the marshmallow so it is completely covered.
• Press a Cheerio or Tootie Frootie into the bottom center of the Pilgrim hat, so it looks like a buckle.

Cornucopia Thanksgiving Snack Mix:  Buy sugar cones (The kind you put ice cream in, and fill them with this mix. They make nice party favors at your Thanksgiving table, or you could ask several room moms to make them as a treat for your students.) I tie my cones with a sheer fall colored ribbon. You can buy a bolt for a Dollar at Michaels or JoAnn Fabrics. I put the mix in a baggie then rubber band it shut and tie with curling ribbon.

• Sugar Cones
• Pretzels
• Candy corn
• Chex Mix
• Raisins
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Goldfish Crackers  
• Reese’s Pieces

Diane’s Indian Corn Cookies (My very own invention)  If you want to do these as a class snack activity, ask parents to send in the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Cookies that are oval shaped. I used Keebler’s new Vienna Fingers. They are $2.99 for a package of 30.
• Yellow frosting. $1.69 a can
• A bag of Reese’s Pieces or Fall-colored M&M’s  $2.59 a bag (on sale)
• A can of LaChoy rice noodles. $1.35 a can

Directions:

• Students spread frosting on cookie with a Popsicle stick.
• Children press candy pieces into the frosting.  Each child needs 10 pieces. (5 different colors).
• Students press rice noodles in the top to look like corn husks.

Turkey Treats

Ingredients:

• 2 round cookies (I use cookies that are chocolate on one side and vanilla on the other and have frosting in the middle.) (I’ve also seen these done with Oreo cookies where they take them apart and use this frosting or Nila Wafer cookies.)
• 1 malted milk ball (head)
• 1 Rolo (body)
• 5 pieces of Candy Corn (feathers)
• 1 red jelly bean (wattle)
• chocolate frosting
• 1 raisin (beak)
• Yellow frosting in a tube
• Toothpick

Directions:

• Frost the bottom cookie, chocolate side up.
• Press the Rolo into the frosting so that it is towards the front of the cookie.
• Put a dab of frosting on top of the Rolo.
• Press the malted milk ball onto the frosting so that it sits on top of the Rolo.
• Cut the jelly bean in half and stick it to the malted milk ball.
• Cut the raisin (beak) in half and stick it above the jelly bean. (wattle)
• Using a toothpick dab on two yellow frosting eyes.
• Frost the bottom of the second cookie.
• Press the 5 candy corns on the outside edge of the cookie in a fan shape.
  
• The candy corn should have the pointed end pointing down.
• Press this cookie up against the Rolo and down into the frosted bottom cookie.
  
• An easier version of this is to skip the Rolo and the malted milk ball and use a Hershey Kiss instead.  The Kiss is the head of the turkey.  I like this version better.

Background: When I was an aide helping teach 2^nd grade at Grand View school in Grandville, a room mom, Sheila, made these for tour students as a pre-Thanksgiving treat.  They LOVED them!