Exploding Paint Craft with Alka Seltzer

This was so much fun to do! The kids had a blast and I did too!

 Materials:

• Paint
• Small Film Canisters
• Paper or Canvas
• Alka Seltzer Tablets
• Water
• Outdoor space for easy cleanup 
• Disposable table cloth, plastic shower curtain, or newspaper. 

Directions:

1. Get all of your materials ready.
2. Lay out the disposable table cloth, newspaper, or old plastic shower curtain.
3. Lay down your paper or canvas. 
4. Put some paint in a few film canisters 1/3 full. Add a little water (about 1tsp). Stir or shake it up to mix it. 
5. Get ready to move quickly. Break an Alka Seltzer tablet in half, put both halves in a canister with paint. Put the cover on quickly and set it upside down on the paper or canvas. 
6. Stand back, the canister may fly far. The Alka Seltzer bubbles will build pressure and cause the top to pop off and create a fun splatter painting.
7. Continue to fill and explode the canisters until you have a painting you love. 
8. Clean up, let your painting dry and then hang it up to show off your work!

Easy Cheesy Meatball Subs

 These are easy to make for a quick lunch or dinner. Perfect when the family has a busy night of activities.

 Ingrediants:

• Buns (hoagie or large brat)
• Butter
• Garlic Salt
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 
• Parmesan Cheese 
• Meatballs (frozen or homemade)
• Marinara Sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425℉
2. Cook Meatballs. When I use the precooked frozen Meatballs, I put them in a frying pan with a little water and cover them.  Heat them up until they are warm all the way through. Remove the cover and brown the outside of the Meatballs. 
3. Pour the Marinara sauce over the Meatballs and let it simmer until the buns are done. 
4. Open buns and spread on butter. 
5. Lay the buns flat of a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt and Mozzarella cheese. 
6. Bake for 4-5 minutes.
7. When you are ready to assemble the subs, put a bun on a plate, scoop on the Meatballs and Marinara, then sprinkle the top with Mozzarella and Parmesan.  
8. When I serve this to my kids, I usually cut the meatballs up to make it easier for them to eat. 
9. Enjoy!

Hand Print Frame

These were a fun and easy craft to make for Mother's Day. I made these for myself and for my sister. They would be great for a gift for many occasions. 

Materials:

• Frame
• Paint
• Cute Little Hand

Directions:

1. Get the Frame. 
2. Paint one hand, then make the hand print on the frame. 
3. Make sure it drys before putting it together. 
4. Place it on a shelve or use as a great gift for a mom, grandma, or family member. 

Mini English Muffin Pizza

My kids love when we make these. It is fun for them to be able to help make their meals. 

Ingredients:

• English Muffins
• Butter
• Garlic Salt
• Pizza Sauce
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Pepperoni 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425⁰F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil. 
3. Cut the English Muffins in half and line them up on the cookie sheet. 
4. Spread butter on the English Muffins and sprinkle with garlic salt. 
5. Spread on some pizza sauce, sprinkle with a layer of cheese, and add pepperoni. 
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the English Muffins are crisp on the bottom. 
7. Serve and enjoy!

Variations: You could use any kind of toppings and make any of your favorite pizzas. Another favorite of mine would be a Chicken Alfredo Pizza.

Pickle Roll ups

Perfect pinwheel snack or hors d'oeuvre for a party. 

Everyone will love them!

Ingredients:

• Flour tortilla
• Cream Cheese
• Deli Meat (Ham, Corned Beef, Roast Beef)
• Pickle Planks

Directions:

1. Lay a tortilla on a cutting board. 
2. Warm the cream cheese slightly to make it easier to spread. Spread a layer on the tortilla and be careful not to rip the tortilla. 
3. Add a layer of deli meat. I used roast beef, most people like ham the most but the corned beef or roast beef gives it a good flavor. 
4. Dry the pickle planks on some paper towel. You don't want them dripping wet because it will make the tortilla soggy. 
5. Roll the tortilla tight along with the pickle planks. 
6. Slice and place on a platter to serve. Make more until your platter is full because they will all be gone. Enjoy!

Note: Do not make these the night before serving. They are better fresh!

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!

Sloppy Joes

So simple and Delicious! 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1/2 Sweet Yellow Onion Chopped
• 3 Garlic Cloves Chopped
• Salt & Pepper
• 1/2 cup Water
• 4 oz can of Tomato Paste
• 1/4 cup Ketchup
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tbs Brown Sugar  
• 1 tsp Yellow Mustard
• 1 Tbs BBQ Sauce

Directions:

1. Add ground beef, onion, and garlic to a skillet pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the ground beef is browned. 
2. Add the water and scrap the brown bits off the pan. 
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and more salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and simmer until it is thick. 
4. Serve on a bun and enjoy!

Disappearing Marshmallow Breakfast Rolls

These are a special breakfast treat that my husbands grandma always made for him as a kid.

Ingredients:

• Pre-made Croissant Roll Dough
• 1 Tbs Melted Butter 
• 1 Tbs Sugar
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon 
• Large Marshmallows

Ingredients for Icing:

• 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

• 1 tsp of Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven according to the croissant dough package. 
2. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. 
3. Divide the croissant dough.
4. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
5. Roll a marshmallow in the melted butter and then in the cinnamon/sugar mix. 
6. Roll the marshmallow up in the croissant dough. Make sure you seal the dough completely to keep the marshmallow from melting out. 
7. Roll all of the croissants and place them in the muffin tin. 
8. Bake them according to the croissant package. 
9. When they are golden brown remove them from the oven and let them cool a bit. 
10. Make some Icing by mixing the milk and powdered sugar together to have a slightly runny consistency. Add a little milk at a time. You may need to add more powdered sugar or milk. 
11. Once the rolls have cooled a bit place them on a plate and drizzle icing over the top and serve. Enjoy!

Ham & Cheese Biscuit Bombs

My kids and husband loved these, and they were so simple to make!

Ingredients:

• Pre-made Biscuit Dough 
• Deli Ham Slices
• Cheddar Cheese Block
• Butter
• Garlic Powder
• Dried Parsley 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven according to the biscuit dough package.
2. Put foil on a cookie sheet and spray it with cooking spray. 
3. Open the biscuit dough and peel them apart. 
4. Add one slice of ham and one 1/2 inch cube of cheese to the center of each biscuit. 
5. Fold and roll the biscuits into a ball. Make sure they are completely sealed. 
6. Place the biscuit balls 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
7. Melt 2 tbs of butter and brush it on top of each biscuit.
8. Sprinkle each biscuit with garlic powder and parsley.
9. Bake the biscuit balls according to the package or until golden brown. 
10. Let them cool a few minutes. Be careful when serving they will be hot inside. Enjoy!

Mini Corndog Muffins

I made there for my kids for lunch and they loved them!

Materials:

• Corn Bread Mix
• Ingredients for Mix (oil, milk, eggs...)
• Hot dogs
• Mini Muffin Pan
• Cooking spray or Mini Cupcake Liners

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven according to the corn bread mix box.
2. Mix the corn bread according to the box.
3. Cut the hot dogs so the will not stick out above the muffins. About 3/4 inch long. 
4. Spray the pan or add your mini cupcake liners. 
5. Put a hot dog piece in each muffin spot. 
6. Spoon the corn bread mix over the hot dog, you want it to be just covering the hot dog but not over flowing.
7. Bake them according to the corn bread mix box.
8. Serve immediately with your favorite corndog condiment.

Spring Bird Kids Craft

 Happy Spring!

This cute spring picture is perfect to bring a little spring into the house. 

Materials:

• Construction Paper
• Glue; stick & liquid
• Googly Eyes
• Dried Grass or Twigs
• Brown Marker

Directions:

1. Draw and cut out a tree with branches, leaves, clouds, ovals for birds, and beaks. 
2. Glue on all the parts starting witb the tree, then leaves, clouds, birds, and last beaks.
3. Add googly eyes on the birds with the luquid glue.
4. Squeeze glue out along the bottom of the birds and press in you dry grass.
5. Add a little detail of tree bark with a brown marker.
6. You can add Happy Spring! or even some little music notes above the birds. Tweet Tweet!

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!

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. 

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...