Snow Day Snack

A few days ago we had a "snow day", so the boys and I made some "snowman cookies".  They were inspired by some beautiful cookie pops made by Amy at The Idea Room.  My boys made our version, so they didn't turn out quite as fancy as Amy's.  :-)

Here is how we made our version:

1)  I melted some white chocolate baking squares in the microwave {2 minutes on medium in a small microwave safe bowl}.  Then, I let the boys stir the chocolate until it was completely melted and smooth.

2)  I let the boys dip Oreos in the melted chocolate, and then they laid the cookies on wax paper.

3)  Using candy corn and chocolate chips, the boys made snowman faces on the cookies, and then we left them to harden.

Fun, right?  The boys loved snacking on snowman cookies and hot chocolate after an afternoon of sledding.

What is your favorite winter time snack?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

{No Fail} Banana Bread

Everyone has a few "tried and true" family recipes that they use on a regular basis, and today I am sharing one of my favorites.  I always have bananas that go bad before my boys get a chance to eat them, so this banana bread is a staple in my house.  It is a simple recipe, and it always turns out moist and delicious.

When I moved out of my childhood home, my mom and dad gave me a binder full of my mom's favorite recipes, and this banana bread is one of them.  It is a family favorite, and I am so excited to share it with you today.

Here's how to make it:

1)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a large loaf pan.
2)  Whisk together the following dry ingredients:
        2 cups of flour
        1/4 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar
        3 tsp baking powder
        1/2 tsp baking soda
        1/2 tsp salt
        1/2 cup chocolate chips

3)  Beat together:
         1 egg
         3/4 cup milk
         1/4 cup melted butter (cooled)
         1 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas  {And mashing bananas is a perfect job for little helpers.}

4)  Mix wet and dry ingredients thoroughly, and pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes.

I highly encourage you to give this banana bread recipe a try.  It's even better with a cup of coffee or tea. Enjoy!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Here's a quick video showing how simple this treat comes together...

 

Cooking with Kids {Chef Hats}

My boys love to bake with me, so recently we decided to make some simple chef hats for them to wear.  Cute, right? 

The best part is, they are super-easy!  All you need is: a piece of bristol board, a sheet of white tissue paper, and some tape.

To put it together, follow these three simple steps:
1)  Cut a strip of bristol board 4 inches wide.
2)  Fit the strip around the child's head and secure with tape.
3)  Tape the edges of the tissue paper to the inside of the bristol board headband, and "fluff up" the tissue paper.  {See below.}

I hope you make these chef hats with your little ones, and that they love them as much as my boys did.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* Don't miss any of the East Coast Mommy fun. Follow me on facebook here.

5 Easy Halloween Treats

Special treats are an important part of Halloween celebrations, but moms are busy -- especially this time of year.  So, I have put together a list of 5 {Easy} things you can bake for Halloween.

These Halloween treats are easy to make, but definitely cute enough for Halloween parties and classroom treats.

1)  Candy Corn Ginger Crinkles - What is easier than baking a recipe you already know and love, and then adding a "Halloween twist"?  I baked my favorite ginger cookie recipe, and after the cookies came out of the oven (and they were still hot), I added a piece of candy corn to the top of each cookie.  So simple! 

2)  Mini Cupcakes...with a tiny surprise - This little cupcake is guaranteed to delight little ones, and they so simple to make.  I used a chocolate cake mix to make mini cupcakes, and I frosted them with ready-made chocolate frosting.  Then, I topped each cupcake with a Halloween ring I got at the dollar store.  {Don't worry, I washed all the rings well before inserting them into the cupcakes.}

3)  Wormy Cupcakes - These cupcakes are so much fun for little ones.  My boys think the idea of eating dirt and worms is hilarious!    I used a chocolate cake mix to make the cupcakes, and my boys used ready-made icing to frost them.  Then, they dipped the cupcakes in "dirt" aka cookie crumbs, and added some gummy worms.  What kid wouldn't get a kick out of this creepy treat?

4)  Cookie Pops - Isn't food just more fun when it comes on a stick?  Well, these cookie pops are no exception... and they are super-simple to make.  All I did was insert sucker sticks into Ready to Bake Cookies, and baked them according to the directions on the back of the package.  Don't you just love a good shortcut?

5)  Pumpkin Cut Out Cookies - Sometimes an old-fashioned cookie is the most fun.  Kids love to roll out dough and cut it into shapes.  We used a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter, and ready-made icing tinted with green and orange food coloring.  My boys thought it was as much fun making these treats as it was to eat them.

Doesn't this great list inspire you to head to the kitchen and start baking?  Which treat are you going to make?  

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Teddy Bear Picnic

Yesterday, we "checked" one more item off our Summer Checklist... "Have a Teddy Bear Picnic". All you need for a perfect afternoon with your little one is: a teddy bear, a blanket, and the perfect snacks!

Seriously... what is more fun than eating outside with your teddy bear?

For the main course {wink}, we had peanut butter sandwiches.

And for dessert, we made peanut butter teddy bear cookies.  They are easy, cute and super-fun!

To make these adorable cookies:

Cream together: 

• 1 cup butter 
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar

Then, beat in two eggs.

In a separate bowl, mix:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Then, let the kids roll a 1-inch ball (for the face) and two smaller balls (for the ears). Flatten slightly.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 10 - 11 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake. 

Have you ever had a Teddy Bear Picnic with your little ones?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple DIY Graduation Treats

My 4 year old is graduating from Preschool this month, and he will be starting Grade Primary in the fall.  This is a big milestone in our house, so {of course}, we need to mark the occasion with a special treat.  Today on the blog, I am sharing the DIY graduation treats we are making for his friends on graduation day.

Want to make these adorable {and delicious} graduation caps?

1)  First, gather the supplies.  {We used: a chocolate cake mix and chocolate icing, red candies, square chocolate cookies, and strawberry Fruit by the Foot}

 

2)  Using a mix, bake "mini" chocolate cupcakes.  {You can follow the directions on the box, but instead, I like to add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup cooled melted butter, and 3 eggs to the mix.  Then, I bake the "mini" cupcakes at 350 for about 15 minutes.}  

3)  To assemble the graduation hats:

• Cut a strip from the "Fruit by the Foot" to resemble a tassel.
• Attach the fruit strip and a red candy to the top of the chocolate cookie using a little chocolate icing as "glue".
• Turn the cupcake upside down, add a little frosting, and place the cookie on top.

We also put these cute bubbles together for his classmates.  I found some cute "owl" ribbon, and attached a note that says "Owl miss seeing you at preschool!" 

Cute, right?

Do you have any special milestones coming up this summer?  What special treats will you be making?

♥  
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You may also like this sweet graduation treat (with free printable tags).

EGGing the Neighbours

Last Halloween, we started a tradition of "Booing" the neighbours.  (If you have never heard of "booing", you can read about it here.)  We had so much fun, that we decided to do a similar thing for Easter -- "Egging" the neighbours. 

EGGing the neighbours is a really fun way to share Easter treats with your neighbours, friends and family.

Here's how we conducted our "egging" mission.

First, we made tasty "bird nest" Easter cookies.  

{You can find the recipe here.}  

My boys loved adding the chocolate eggs to the cookies.

Then, we packaged up the cookies and added a fun tag.  

You can find the labels I designed here.

Finally, I sent my boys out on a "secret" delivery mission.  They thought they were doing some serious spy work.  😀

I hope you decide to give "egging" a try.  It's a wonderful Easter tradition, and I promise you'll have a ton of fun. 

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find another fun "egging" printable tag here.  It's a cute one!)

You can find more Easter ideas here.

{Make Ahead} Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I am always looking for ways to get organized, and today I am sharing one of my favorite ways to simplify the "making lunches" process.  I make big batches of baked goods, individually package them, and pop them in the freezer.  Today, my four year old made our favorite Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.  

The recipe we use can be found at DianaDesserts.com (but we make "mini muffins", and reduce the baking temperature to 350 degrees).

I love three things about this recipe:

1)  The muffins are moist and delicious.

2)  It is a fun to bake them with kids.  "Little hands" can fill the tins with muffin liners, mash the bananas, and add and stir the ingredients.

3)  They make perfect "little treats" for school lunch boxes.  (I freeze them in individual snack bags, which makes them easy to "pop" into lunches each night.)

Give them a try, and let me know what you think.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)