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!