Classic Chicken Dumpling Soup

This classic chicken dumpling soup is a perfect meal for a cold day!

Ingredients:

Chicken Soup Base

• Chicken (Thighs, legs, or whole small chicken)
• Water
• 1/2 Sweet Yellow Onion Chopped
• 2 Garlic Cloves Chopped
• 1 tsp Salt 
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1 Carton of Chicken Broth

Dumplings:

• 6 Eggs
• 2.5 cups Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper

Directions:

1. Rinse chicken and put it in a large stock pot. I used about 8 chicken legs. You can use whatever pieces of chicken you have.  
2. Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and Thyme to the pot. Add water to the pot until the water is about and inch or two over the top of the chicken. Boil on the stove top until the chicken is cooked through. The meat will start to fall off the bones and there will be no pink in the meat. 
3. Once the chicken is cooked pull the chicken out of the pot. Clean the meat off the bones and put only the meat back into the pot. 
4. Add the chicken broth to the pot. Taste the soup base and add more salt and pepper until you have the flavor you want. 
5. Make the dumplings. Add your eggs to a stand mixer and whip them until the yokes are combined with the whites. Add the salt and pepper. Slowly mix and add the flour. This dough will be sticky but will not form a dough ball. The stiffer the dough the denser the dumplings will be.
6. Bring the soup base back to a low boil. 
7. Use one small spoon to scoop a small amount of the dumpling dough (about 1.5 tsp) and another spoon to scrap the dumpling off. The dough will not stick as much if you dip the spoon into the soup each time you make a dumpling. As the dumplings cook they will grow at least 4 times their size. Add the dumplings quickly so they all will get about the same amount of cooking time. 
8. Cover the pot and let the dumplings cook for 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally. Check the center of the dumplings to see if they are cooked through. They should not be dry in the middle. 
9. Put some soup in a bowl with a dab of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a buttered dinner roll. Enjoy!

Note: You could add carrots and celery to the soup base to get some more flavor and vegetables. 

Pink Flamingo Drink

This drink is kind of like a Shirley Temple. 

Our kids love them and so do I!

Ingredients:

• Ice
• Lemon Lime Soda
• Grenadine
• Half and Half Cream

Directions: 

1. Get a glass with some ice in it. 
2. Pour in your soda.
3. Add a splash of Grenadine, to your taste. 
4. Add a splash of Half and Half. 
5. Stir it all together to make your creamy pink Flamingo Drink. 
6. Enjoy!

Variations: Make a large batch for a party. Add a little of your favorite alcohol to make it an adult beverage.

Caramel Apple Grapes

What a yummy little treat!

Ingredients:

• Green Grapes
• Kraft Caramels Squares
• Water
• Salted Peanuts Finely Chopped 
• Tooth Picks

Directions:

1. Wash and dry your grapes. Stick a tooth pick in 15-20 of them.
2. Chop Peanuts. I start out with about 1/4 cup. 
3. Put 10 caramels and 2 tsp water in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted. 
4. Dip the grapes in the caramel and then the chopped peanuts. Set on a plate to serve. 
5. Continue to melt more caramels and chop more peanuts until you have your desired amount of Caramel Apple Grapes!
6. Serve and enjoy this sweet treat!

Rainbow and Pot of Gold

Rainbow Finger Prints & Pot of Gold

This was a fun St. Patrick's Day Craft I did with my kids. 

Materials:

• White & Black Construction Paper
• Paints (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
• Glue; stick & liquid
• Gold Glitter

Directions:

1. Have all materials ready. I put a small amount of each of the colors of paint on a paper plate so they were ready for the little fingers. 
2. Cut a pot out of the black paper. Glue it towards the bottom and one side of the white paper. 
3. Starting with the red paint, make finger prints in a rainbow shape. Continue with the other colors in the order of the rainbow. Wash your hands between each color. 
4. If you would like you can add some fingerprint shamrocks around the rainbow. 
5. Using the liquid glue, spread some around the top of your pot. Sprinkle the gold glitter on the glue. 
6. Keep your artwork laying flat to dry. Hang it up!

Creamy Crab Dip

OMG! SO YUMMY! This is a favorite in our house! 

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Imitation Crab Meat Chopped
• 1/3 cup Mayo
• 6 oz. Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese 
• 1/4 cup Chopped Green Onion
• 1 Tbs finely Chopped Jalapeno 
• 2 finely Chopped Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• Fun Bowl to serve your dip in.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese and mayo until smooth. 
2. Add all other ingredients to the bowl and mix until combined. 
3. Use as a spread for crackers, toasted bread, or pretzel chips.
4. Enjoy!

Tips:

• Double this recipe for a larger group. 
• If you do not like spicy foods try it with out the Jalapeno and Cayenne first. You could also use one or the other, or less of each.

Rainbow Fruit Pizza

 Happy Spring!
This is a great treat to make for a spring day. My kids loved the fun rainbow and the fresh fruit.

Materials:

• Prepared Sugar Cookies 
• Prepared Fruit Dip
• 4 Fruits (Rainbow Colors)
• Knife

Directions:

1. Prepare your Sugar Cookies and Fruit Dip. Click the links to use my favorite recipes. 
2. Chop your fruit into small cubes. 1/4 cup of each fruit is plenty. I used strawberries, pineapple, kiwi, and blueberries. 
3. Spread your fruit dip on the cooled cookies.
4. Add your chopped fruit on top of the dip to create a rainbow. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple!
5. Enjoy!

Variations/Tips:

• If you don't like the fruit I used, just get something you like of the same color.
• This is a great treat to make for many occasions. You could use any cookie shape and make it into a fruit pizza. 

The Best Soft Sugar Cookie

I Love These Sugar Cookies!

These are the easiest and best tasting cut out sugar cookie I have had. Everyone I make them for agrees! Best part is that you don't have to chill the dough. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉
2. Use a mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until smooth, at least 3 minutes. 
3. Beat in eggs and extract. 
4. In a separate bowl mix baking powder, salt, and flour. Slowly add to the wet ingredients. When the dough becomes to stiff for your mixer, pull it out and finish kneading the dough by hand. 
5. Do not chill the dough. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your cookies.
6. Bake at 350℉ for 6-8 minutes. Let cool until firm enough to move to a cooling rack. 

Tips:

• If you have to chill the dough just set it out to warm up before rolling it out. 
• Exchange 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract for 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract for a sweeter cookie. 
• Start out with 6 minutes of cooking time, add more time as needed. They should be only lightly browned on the bottom for a softer cookie. 

Red, White & Blue Party Favor/ Thank You

Thanks for Coming!
***
Now let's get Star Spangled Hammered!

This is a fun a easy party favor to use on many occasions. I used these for a red, white and blue themed Bachelorette party. Your guests will love their Red, White & Blue Thank You.

Materials:

• Can of Sprite
• Mini Vodka Bottles
• Thank You Note
• String

Directions:

1. Create Tag. I typed up and printed off the thank you, used decorative scissors to cut out the note and a colored paper, then glued the two together. I whole punched the tag and tied a small string on to make a loop. 
2. Tie a long sting around the mini bottle, add the note, then tie it all around the can of pop. 
3. Set them out for your guests to enjoy!

Variations:

• You could use this same concept but add a different theme tag or just a simple Thank You note. (Green tag with an Irish thank you, Red tag with a holiday thank you, etc...)
• Change the type of alcohol or pop for a different kind of drink.

Shamrock "Stained Glass"

By Makenna (2)

This is a fun way for your kids to help decorate for St. Patrick's Day!

Materials:

• Wax paper
• Tissue paper (greens, yellows)
• Liquid glue
• Water
• Bowl
• Paint brush
• Permanent marker
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Take a half sheet of each color of tissue paper. Fold up and cut into 1 inch square pieces. Does not need to be a perfect square.
2. Take a piece of wax paper and draw shamrocks with a permanent marker.
3. Mix about one teaspoon of water with one tablespoon of glue together in a bowl.
4. Paint an area of the shamrock with the glue mixture and layer on a few colors of tissue paper. Paint the glue over the top of the tissue paper. Continue until the shamrocks are covered completely. 
5. Let the glue dry and then cut out the shamrocks.
6. Hang it on a window to look like stained glass art.

Tips:

• You can use some of these same steps to make other pictures for any time of the year. For example; flowers, stars, pumpkins, snowmen.

Painting Mess Free

My sister did this with her kids for Easter. So Cute!

Materials:

• Canvas
• Paints
• Plastic wrap
• Newspaper
• Paint brush 
• Black permanent marker

Directions:

1. Have all of your materials out and ready to use. Put the canvas on newspaper.
2. Squirt dots of paint on the canvas.
3. Place plastic wrap on top of the paint and wrap it around the edges of the canvas.
4. Let your child rub the paint around. Having the plastic wrap over the paints makes this safe and mess free for little fingers.
5. After the canvas is all painted, peal the plastic wrap off and let it dry.
6. To make the bunny footprints, have your child sit in a chair with clean feet.
7. Paint one foot with white paint. Make sure it is thick so you get the whole footprint.
8. Stamp the foot on the canvas so their toes are pointing down and there is space for the ears above the heal.
9. Do the last 2 steps with the other foot or another child's foot. If you have more kids just add 1 foot for each of them.
10. To add the ears to each bunny, use a paint brush to paint the white long ears first. After that drys a little, add a center pink stripe for the inside of the ears. Use that same pink paint and add a small dot in the center of the heal for the bunny nose.
11. Once all of the paint is dry you can add the details. Use the black permanent marker to draw a face, write Happy Easter, and add names and ages by each foot.
12. Hang your canvas and cherish those little toes or you could even give this as a gift.

Tips/Variations:

• You could do the mess free painting for any occasion and with any colors of paint. 
• If you do hand or foot prints be ready to clean them off between each. 
• If your canvas is small enough you could put it into a zip lock bag for the mess free painting. 

Bunny Kids Painting

I loved how easy this was. My kids had so much fun doing some finger painting with this project.

Materials: 

• Small Canvas
• Washable Paints
• Stiff Paint Brush 
• Bunny Stencil
• White Paint

Directions:

1. Get all of your materials out and ready and cover your painting surface when you have kids doing the finger painting. 
2. Paint the whole canvas with all of the colors you chose. Use light colors first, like yellow. If the colors start to mix to much they will turn brown. 
3. Let it dry completely. 
4. Pick the spot you would like to put your stencil. Tape one edge down with painters tape. 
5. Use a stiff paint brush to paint in the stencil using a tapping motion. Do not have a lot of paint on the brush and be gentle so the brush does not get pushed under the edges of the stencil.
6. Pull the stencil off when you are done painting.
7. Let dry and enjoy the artwork through the season. 

Tips/Variations:

• You could use many different paint colors and stencil shapes for this project. For Example; red, white and blue with a star, greens with a shamrock, kids favorite colors with their initials, etc...