Resurrection Cookies

Note: One of the best recipes for Easter is Resurrection Cookies. It is such a visual way and hands on way to explain to kids the story of Easter.


Resurrection Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt
1 cup sugar
a zipper baggy
1 wooden spoon
scotch tape
Bible

On the Night Before Easter:

Preheat oven to 300F.*** (this is very important --- don't wait until you are half done with the recipe). Place pecans in zipper baggy and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested. He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read: John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read: John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read: John 10:10&11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers,and the bitterness of our own sin. Read: Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read: Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read: Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet.Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.Read: Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.Explain that Jesus tomb was sealed. Read: Matthew 27:65-66

GO TO BED! Feels sad doesn't it? Explain to your kids that was the way that Jesus' followers felt when they had to leave Jesus in the tomb and it was sealed. Read: John 16:20&22

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read: Matthew 28:1-9

Easter... what a wonderful gift!

I hope that you will join me at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday for more delicious recipes.

Non-Alcoholic New Year's Drinks

Note: Ring in the New Year the non-alcoholic way! No designated driver needed.

Non-Alcoholic White Sandria

Ingredients:
4 cups white grape juice
1 cup pink grapefruit juice
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 2 litre Sprite

Directions
Mix together grape juice, grapefruit juice and lime juice in a pitcher. Just before serving adding Sprite and garnish with pink grapefruit slices.

The Shirley Temple

Ingredients:
3 ounces of Sprite
3 ounces of ginger ale
splash of grenadine
ice

Directions:
Mix Sprite, ginger ale, a splash of grenadine and ice in a glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Cosmopolitan

Ingredients:
4 ounces orange juice
1 shot of cranberry juice
1/2 ounce pomegranate juice
2 drops of vanilla extract
1/2 ounce sparkling water with ice
wedge of lime

Directions:
Mix orange juice, one shot of cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, vanilla extract, half an ounce of sparkling water with ice. Squeeze a wedge of lime into the drink and use it to garnish the glass.

Catch Me If You Can...

Rudolph Cupcakes

Note: These cupcakes are perfect for class party treats. They are sure to be such a hit that you'll go down in history!

Rudolph Cupcakes

Ingredients

A baked and cooled cupcake (your favorite recipe)

Chocolate frosting

Round, red lollipops (Charms Blow Pops are our favorites)

M&M's candies

Black decorators' gel frosting

Pretzels

Red shoestring licorice (as in Twizzlers)

Directions:

To make one, first frost a cooled cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) with chocolate frosting. Unwrap a round, red lollipop. Trim the stem slightly, and stick it into the center of the cupcake for Rudolph's very shiny nose. For eyes, set 2 M&M's candies in place, then dot them with black decorators' gel frosting. Carefully break large thin pretzels into antler shapes and insert them into the top of the cupcake. Finally, add a short piece of red shoestring licorice for a mouth.

Cheerios Christmas Trees

Note: Every year the boys and I make gingerbread houses. Wouldn't these look cute outside our houses?

Cheerios Christmas Trees

Ingredients:

6 cups Honey Nut Cheerios® cereal
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Green food color
Red cinnamon candies or sliced gumdrops

Directions:

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Pour the cereal into a 4-quart bowl. Set the bowl aside.
Place the butter and marshmallows in a 3-quart saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Stir in the food color until the mixture is evenly colored. Pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereal and stir until the cereal is evenly coated. Lightly spray your hands with cooking spray. For each tree, shape about 1/4 cup of the cereal mixture into a Christmas tree shape on the cookie sheet. Press the candies into the trees to decorate. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store the trees in a loosely covered container.

Source: Betty Crocker

Spider Cupcakes

Note: Live, Love and Eat told me she was going to make this seriously cute scarecrow cake. I started looking around the website and saw this cute spider cupcakes and thought that they fit my spider theme really well. I'll be honest though. I don't think I am going to go to the trouble of making spiders out of gumdrops. I will probably just buy some of those spider rings and put those on top. The kids can wear those after eating the cupcakes!

Spider Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
3 drops red food color
4 to 5 drops yellow food color
1 tube (0.68 ounce) Betty Crocker® black decorating gel
48 large black gumdrops

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cupcakes as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Tint frosting with red and yellow food colors to make orange frosting. Spread frosting over tops of cupcakes. Squeeze circles of decorating gel on each cupcake; pull knife through gel from center outward to make web. To make each spider, roll out 1 gumdrop and cut out 8 strips for legs; place another gumdrop on top. Place spider on cupcake. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Spider Pops

Note: I am the room mother for Little Guy's class. There isn't a class party for Halloween, but I will be sending a little "happy" for the kids to enjoy at snack time and to take home with them. I am basing my treats on spiders since that is what they are studying in school this week.

Here is their take home "happy":

Spider Pops

Ingredients:
Black pipe cleaners
Tootsie Roll pops
Googly eyes
Glue

Directions:
Hold all four pipe cleaners, center them at the base of the pop and wrap them around the stick once so there are four legs on each side. Bend the pipe cleaner ends to form eight feet. Glue on googly eyes.

Great Pumpkin Brownie

Note: I make this brownie every year as our Halloween night treat. We don't do Halloween in the traditional sense. Instead of trick or treating and costumes, we have sneaky treat. We turn out all the lights, watch a fun video, eat snacks in the living room and the boys get an envelope of money with the money amount that we would have spent on costume and candy. I couldn't find my picture of last year's brownie which was one of my favorites since the boys decorated it for me, so I borrowed this one off of the Taste of Home website. Just like carving pumpkins, this is a great way to let your kids express themselves!

Great Pumpkin Brownie

Ingredients:
1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size)
1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
Orange paste food coloring
16 green milk chocolate M&M's
22 yellow milk chocolate M&M's
13 orange milk chocolate M&M's
8 dark brown milk chocolate M&M's
20 pieces candy corn

Directions:

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions for fudge-like brownies. Spread on a greased 12-in. pizza pan to within 1 in. of edges. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Tint frosting orange; frost entire top of brownie. For stem, arrange green M&M's in a square pattern at top of pumpkin. For each eye, arrange 11 yellow M&M's in a triangle. For nose, arrange orange M&M's in a triangle. For mouth, place brown M&M's in a horizontal line; surround with candy corn, tips pointing out. Yield: 16-20 servings.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Note: Is pumpkin carving in your future? Don't throw those seeds away! Roast them. They are so healthy and sooooo yummy!



Roasted Pumpkin Seeds


Ingredients:
2 C. pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 1/4 tsp. salt



Directions:

Separate the seeds from the fibers. Spread seeds on a cookie sheet. Pour melted butter over seeds and sprinkle with salt.Bake in a 350 degree oven until the seeds are dried out and crispy brown. Stir occasionally to toast evenly. Time will vary on the seeds, but should take around 30 minutes.

Giant Glowing Pumpkin Cookies

Note: I found this recipe at the Pillsbury website while looking for a cute pumpkin cookie recipe. I don't think this is the recipe I am going to use to bake treats for Little Guy's class since it only makes 10 cookies and requires so much time, but I may make it for our next family night. They are ridiculously cute!

Giant Glowing Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® Create 'n Bake® refrigerated sugar cookies
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
4 butterscotch hard disk candies, crushed
4 cinnamon hard disk candies, crushed

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil. (If using foil, smooth out all wrinkles.) In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in flour and pumpkin pie spice until well blended.
2. On lightly floured surface, roll out half of dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness. Refrigerate remaining half of dough until needed. With small sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut out 4-inch pumpkin shapes. On cookie sheets, place shapes 2 inches apart. Cut out facial features from pumpkins.
3. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix crushed candies. Place 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed candy in center of each cut-out area in each cookie, making sure candy touches edges of cookie. (Do not mound candy in centers of cutouts.)
4. Bake 12 to 18 minutes or until edges of cookies are light golden brown, and candy is melted and fills cut-out areas of cookies. Cool 2 to 5 minutes on cookie sheets or until candy is hardened. Carefully remove cookies from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.