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- Christmas Cookie Decorating Party – Vegan Sugar Cookie Recipe
  December 6, 2019Baking and decorating Christmas cookies has been a family tradition ever since I can remember. Everyone loves to decorate those sugar cookies that are shaped into stars, wreaths, snowmen, trees, angels, and bells. That’s why a Christmas Cookie Decorating Party is a great addition to your holiday plans. You can invite friends and family to your Christmas Cookie Decorating Party or just have a party with your kids. At our house we keep it pretty simple, there’s more than enough of us to have a party, but we usually invite some of the neighborhood kids to join in the fun. One thing we do is to make sure our cookies are egg, nut, and dairy free because my grandson Jett is allergic to all those things. I use a very simple allergen free Vegan Sugar Cookie recipe that’s so good everyone loves them. That way I don’t have to make vegan and non-vegan cookies for our Christmas Cookie Decorating Party. Believe me at this time of year time is very valuable! And baking just the vegan sugar cookies cuts my baking time in half! Here are some tips to help you plan your Christmas Cookie Decorating Party, and my recipe for Vegan Sugar Cookies! Bake your cookies ahead of time, you can even make them weeks before and freeze them. Just thaw them out to room temperature before your Christmas Cookie Decorating Party. Schedule your party between meals; after lunch and before dinner. 3:00 pm is my usual time. Set a time limit, you don’t need to have this party go on for hours; kids get bored and so do adults. 2 hours max is my ideal time frame. Set out your frostings and decorations before guests arrive. It’s a good idea to place sprinkles and other small decorations in small bowls or even a muffin pan. The muffin pan compartments keep the decorations separated. Place your frostings in frosting bags with tips for easy access. Keep them in a bowl tip down to avoid a mess. Or you can buy bottles of icing from the baking section at Walmart or other grocery stores, much easier and less messy! Have everyone decorate their cookies on a paper plate, avoids big messes and cookies can easily be transported home if needed. Have fun! Vegan Sugar Cookies Ingredients: 1 Cup Earth Balance Vegan Butter or Shed’s Spread, softened 1 Cup Shortening 3 Cups Sugar 4 Tbs ground flaxseed softened in 3/4 cup water – place ground flaxseed in water and let it absorb the water until viscous 6 Tbs coconut milk (you can use soy milk if you prefer) 2 Tsp Vanilla 6 Cups All Purpose Flour 1 Tsp Baking Soda 1/2 Tsp Salt Frostings & decorations Directions: In a large mixing bowl using your dough hook cream together vegan butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in flaxseed mixture, coconut milk, and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together dry ingredients. Gradually beat into vegan butter mixture. Divide dough into 4 portions and shape each portion into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Pre-heat oven to 400° Working with 1 disk at a time unwrap dough and smooth plastic wrap on countertop – you will roll on the wrap to avoid adding flour which makes the dough dry. Roll dough into 1/8″ thickness. Cut with cookie cutters into shapes you want. Place 1″ apart on baking sheet covered with silicone baking mat. Bake 5-7 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on cooling racks to cool completely. At this point you can place cookies in freezer safe containers, be sure they’re sealed tight, and freeze. Or you can decorate them.... Read more...
- Christmas Craft for Kids to Make
  November 25, 2019 The holiday countdown has begun, we’re all very busy getting ready. We’re shopping, baking, wrapping, decorating, entertaining, and crafting! I know many of us are trying to get as much done before school lets out for the winter break. Here are some crafty ideas to keep the kids busy when they’re home and gets them involved in this year’s holiday preparations. If you’re playing the neighborhood holiday game “You’ve Been Jingled” let the kids join the fun! They’ll love the idea! They can help make up the gift baskets and older kids can even drop them off! They’ll love the idea of ringing a neighbor’s door way and disappearing without being seen! For FREE game printable click here! Image from Savvy Nana’s Stock up on paper plates for kids to use in these paper plate elves and snowman from Crafty Morning. Pick up some popsicle sticks from the craft store and have kids make these cool ornaments from Chickabug. Buggy and Buddy use beads and pipe cleaners to make these pretty ornaments. Cut out candy cane and wreath forms from cardboard and have kids glue on pom-poms to make these ornaments. Use buttons to make ornaments like this tree ornament by UK Lass in US. Make sweet smelling ornaments with this No Cook Cinnamon Salt Dough by Growing a Jeweled Rose. Use paper towel rolls to make these star ornaments. Learn how from Blog a la Cart. Recycle plastic container lids and make this glittery ornament from No Time For Flashcards. Thumbprint ornaments are easy to make and will make a wonderful keepsake ornament for years to come. A great activity, have the kids get ready for Santa’s Christmas Eve visit, make Rudolph and his friends reindeer food. Get tutorial from Smart Schoolhouse here! For more holiday craft ideas for kids follow my board on Pinterest! ... Read more...
- DIY Cookie Exchange!! Free Printables
  November 22, 2019Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone we turn our attention to the winter holidays. That means lots of cooking, baking, cleaning, decorating, and shopping going on. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukka, or other winter holiday you’re probably wondering how you’re going to fit in all the seasonal activities. One way to reduce your seasonal cookie baking is to host a cookie exchange and swap baked goods with friends and relatives. It may take a bit of planning, but at least you’ll only have to bake one type of cookie and still have a variety to enjoy or gift over the holidays. It’s also a good excuse for a girls day or night out! Hosting a cookie exchange doesn’t have to be a big fancy affair nor does it have to cost a fortune. You can easily host one with just your close friends and family on a tight budget. Here’s a few tips to help you plan your cookie exchange! 1. Decide who you want to invite. You may want to keep the party small and intimate to keep it manageable. It’s probably not the right time to throw a party with 50 of your friends and their families. 2. Set your date and time. Send out invitations. Ideally cookie swap invitations should be sent out a month before, but if you haven’t already done so, you should schedule it as soon as possible so guests can plan to attend. Everyone is busy during the holidays, if your guests are able to attend weekday events it may be easier to have your cookie exchange during the week, otherwise you can schedule a weekend day at least a week before the holiday. I like to send written invitations, but if you’re pressed for time invitations sent via email or text will do. How ever you decide to send invitations always request guest to RSVP and if possible let you know what type of cookie they will be bringing. This will help avoid duplicates and you can gently suggest an alternative before the cookie exchange. Tell guests they must bring a dozen cookies per guest plus an extra dozen for tasting. Suggest that the cookies they bring should be easy to pack and store. You can also ask them to write down the cookie recipe on a recipe card if they want to share it. Recipe cards can double as table cards and guests can help themselves to a card as well as the cookies. 3. Bake your cookies. You can make them well in advance and store baked cookies in the freezer. Cookie bars freeze and pack well as do chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, sugar, and snickerdoodles. For a list of cookies that freeze well check out this article from aboutfood.com. To learn how to freeze cookies click here! 4. Purchase packing supplies. You can use boxes, tins, or even ziplock bags. You may want to provide ribbons, tissue paper, tags, and other supplies so guests can pack up cookies for gift giving. You may also want to have small party favors for each guests. Nicely wrapped oven mitts, kitchen towels, cookie cutters, and wooden spoons are all inexpensive and useful items that would make cute favors. 5. Decorate your house, cookie and packing table. Set out platters and stands for the cookies. To make your own tiered stands click here! You may want to set up a table or counter to pack cookies aside from the table or tables for the cookies. Table cards with cookie type is a nice touch, or if guests are bringing recipe cards to share they can double as table cards. Here’s a cute and festive way to set up table cards, otherwise tent style folding cards work just as well. Glue 3 candy canes together to form a tripod. Place table card on the hook part. 6. Offer guests coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or even wine. You should also set out a few savory tidbits for guests to snack on. Finger sandwiches, dips, and other bite sized savories are ideal and will ward off the sugar rush from sampling all those cookies. 7. The star of the show are the cookies and the main event is the exchange. Decide how you’re going to work the exchange to allow guests to choose the cookies they want. You can have a couple of guests at a time choose all their cookies or you can have rounds with each guest choosing a dozen cookies at a time. Guests can choose the same amount of cookies as they brought. Free Cookie Exchange Printables from How to Nest for Less... Read more...
- 15 Cheap Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids
  November 18, 2019Thanksgiving is in a couple of weeks, that means the kids will be out of school for the very long weekend. Keep them busy making fun inexpensive Thanksgiving crafts while you’re busy in the the kitchen preparing that delicious Thanksgiving Day meal. You can also set a kids’ Thanksgiving table for your little guests and keep them entertained making their own craft projects to take home. Many of these kid’s crafts are made using things you have at home or inexpensive supplies you can pick up at any discount or dollar store. Recycle toilet paper and paper towel rolls, paper plates, baby food jars, and bottle caps for these crafts. Paper Roll Turkey from Arstsy-Farsty Mama is a great way to recycle toilet paper and paper towel rolls. Instructions here! These Turkey Glitter Globes from ilovetocreate.com uses empty baby food jars. Instructions here! This Pilgrim Hat crayon holder by The Moody Fashionista would look great on the Kids’ Thanksgiving table. Make one for each place setting and add a blank rectangular piece of brown Kraft paper. Kids can make their own placemat! Instructions here! Take a tip from Martha Stewart. Kraft paper placemats on the children’s Thanksgiving table will keep your little guests entertained. Add the Pilgrim Hat crayon holder and you’ve got a cute and practical table setting. Kids can take home their crayons and palcemats as party favors! Instructions here! Take a break from making turkeys and make a Paper Pumpkin from All Kids Network. It uses toilet paper rolls, constructions paper, and tape. Instructions here! I love this idea from Alittletipsy.com! Handprint trees! My grandson made me one for mother’s day using different colors. My daughter added a poem and had it framed. It proudly hangs in my family room! Instructions here! A variation on the handprint trees are handprint turkeys! This craft from Terrific Pre-school Years makes a turkey placemat. Instructions here! More Turkeys! Make a turkey hand puppet using a paper bag. Great craft from Learn Create Love. Instructions here! Another puppet craft from Crafty Morning recycles plastic water bottles. This craft takes a bit more time as it needs time to dry. Instructions here! Paper plate turkey from I Heart Crafty Things. Easy, Fun, and Cheap! Instructions here! Thanksgiving head gear! Love these Pilgrim Hats from MPMK. Grandparents can help kids make this! Instructions here! Take the head gear one step up and make this Turkey Pilgrim headband by BigKLittleG. Done with Turkeys? How about this Native American Headdress by Ankle Biter Art. Your little Pocahontas will live it! Instructions here! Or forget Pilgrims and turkeys all together and make this Harvest Crown by Dana-Made-It. Instructions here! Gum drop turkey by Celeste Rockwood-Jones. Yummy! Instructions here! For Easy Toddle Thanksgiving crafts click here! For 12 FREE Thanksgiving printables click here!... Read more...
- DIY Thanksgiving Buffet Table – Free Printables
  November 8, 2019The Thanksgiving table can get very crowded. What with the turkey, side dishes, gravy, and sauces, there’s no place for anyone to actually sit down and eat! I solved this problem long ago by setting up a Thanksgiving Buffet Table for all the food and having an adult table as well as a kids’ table. Depending on the space you have and the number of guests you are expecting this could take some doing. You might consider setting up different stations or bars; appetizer, sides, desserts, and drinks; or any combination there of. If you’re limited on space your stations may have to do double duty after dinner; appetizer station can be converted to dessert bar. You may have to think out of the box and re-purpose furniture pieces to hold food and tableware. You will more than likely have to rearrange furniture to accomplish your goal. However you decide to set up the meal it will require advance planning, so much easier to move furniture without a ton of guests milling around. Here are a few tips to help you set up a Thanksgiving Buffet Table. 1. Plan your serveware. Know ahead of time what dishes you will be using. I usually do this as soon as I’ve planned my menu, making a note beside each dish what I will be serving it in. Be creative, make your buffet interesting by adding height, this also creates space. I love tiered stands and racks, but you don’t have to spend a fortune buying them. Stands can easily be made from dollar store items with very little time and effort. Check out Savvy Nana’s DIY Hurricane Vases & Lamps to learn how to make your own tiered stands. You can also stack platters on upside down stemware or bowls to create height. Or use books or boxes wrapped in pretty paper. If you don’t have time to wrap books or boxes, just place them where you want them on the table and cover everything with a large tablecloth. You can even set Plates on pumpkins to create varying heights For some great ideas on how to set a buffet table watch Kid’s Smart Living‘s video tutorial A table in the middle of the room allows several guest access to the table at the same time, in this case taller dishes should be placed in the middle of the table. If the table needs to be set up against the wall meaning it will be front serving then taller dishes should be in the back. 2. Once you know which serving pieces you will be using you need to decide what you’re going to put them on. Breakfast tables, sideboards, baking racks, kitchen islands and counters work well as long as at least 2 people can serve themselves at the same time without blocking the way for everyone else. You may have to move furniture to accommodate the this traffic and arrange your serving ware accordingly. Consider setting out trays of appetizers on coffee tables and end tables in the living or family rooms. This frees up space on the buffet table for the main event. If you don’t have enough room on the table for plates and eating utensils consider setting up another table, shelf or rack to place them on. Dinner plates stacked neatly on a chair will work! Make use of all the flat surfaces in your house. Setting up a bar on the mantle works well! 3. Keep eating utensils neat and within reach by placing them in mason or apothecary jars, or on trays. Free Printable 4. Decorate your buffet or bar with centerpieces and even a backdrop. You don’t need table cards but they’re a nice touch as is a framed photo or sign. You can hand write your own on card stock or use one of these printable. Click here for this free printable from Home Cooking Memories. Click here for this free printable The Tom Kat Studio... Read more...

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