Teacher or Mother Day Gift Ideas

My son's preschool has a silent auction each year and each class is responsible to donate an item that has every child's name/handprint etc.  I have seen all sorts of things like blankets, aprons and chairs with handprints.


I have also seen items decorated with the adorable fingerprint art--you know the ones that turn things into bugs, animals with a fingerprint.  When I went into Michael's I had a unfinished wood frame in my hand.  Then I saw the perfect white frame with a thick border around the picture.  With 40% discount the $10 I was going to spend on this was well worth the effort of priming and painting the unfinished one, plus it would probably look better.

I decided to make a scene out of the bugs before going to school so I lightly sketched one out with 16 bugs.  I brought acrylic paints to school and had each child was able to pick a bug out of the picture as well as the color they would like.

I used a fine sharpie marker to add the details and names.  


Here is the end result.  A great end of year gift for a teacher too.  We can always use frames.

The second auction item I made was inspired by a child's size apron I had left over from my daughter's cooking party several years ago.   Instead of hand prints I thought each child could make a self portrait.

I used fabric markers--lucky for me I had them left over and they still worked- and traced a circle for each child.


Using T-shirt transfer paper I added each child's name and the class name.

At school, each child then used the fabric markers to decorate their face.  


I heat set it in the dryer.


I think children will love wearing this many years to come and remember their sweet preschool friends and chuckle at their art work.  

I was also talking to a friend and she said she still used a table cloth of self-portraits her class did for her when she taught third grade....


Here are some other ideas I have done in the past to celebrate our hard working teachers.


Repurposed Milk Container flowers

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Chocolate Covered Oreos

Plants from your garden

Coffee/Tea Cups

 

Book Review: The Night Night Book

Having 3 young children ranging in age from 4 to 9 years old,  I was thrilled to receive The Night Night Book by Marianne Richmond.  We are always getting bored of our the same book and why not try something new.

When it arrived I was greatly impressed with the illustrations.  Marianne uses several mediums to illustrate each page.  Half of the fun was asking the kids to pick out which was a painted/ or colored part of the picture and what looked like an object, yarn, ribbon etc.  Marianne Richmond is a bestselling author who has been writing books since 1997.

The book is sweet and brought me back to when my children were babies. I recall rocking them by their cribs and doing just what this book does, saying good night to different objects in the nursery.

For me this book brought back great memories and a tradition I wish I had not stopped.  (however kids do get older)  I think this book is wonderful for new moms who can start this in their own bedtime routines as they say good night to the day and common objects and events.

When I asked my children to help review the book, my 9 and 7 year olds both agreed it is best suited for 5 and younger,  "but the illustrations were really good".
My 4 year old really enjoyed it but like the youngest sibling had to agree with everything they said.

I will definitely have this book on my baby gift list in the future and will keep this copy to give to my kids someday so they can remember how we used to say our night nights!!

In the spirit of full-disclosure,Sourcebooks has provided a copy of the Night Night Book by Marianne Richmond, for me and my family to read. No payment was given and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

Carrot Cake--Lightened Up

Usually every Easter I make my grandmother's Pound Cake recipe, that my mother forbids me to post about!  It makes a double loaf sized portion and since it is  only the 5 of us this Easter I was a little reluctant to have all the cake leftover for me to eat.  Granted I could halve the recipe, in which I have done before.

Next to chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, Carrot Cake is my other favorite.
I have only made it one other time. I saw a recipe in cooking light magazine.  I took a poll of the family and surprisingly it was unanimous, we would change things around this Easter and have Carrot Cake.  I was not going to say no as it is my favorite.

  If you can get past the long list of ingredients, which you probably have on hand, it is surprisingly easy and no mixer required.  I did not have crushed pineapple.  No worries, just drain the can pineapples you may have on hand very well and then mash in the food processor or with a fork.  I already had the food processor out to shred the carrots so no extra clean up!!

Make sure and check your oven as it baking.  I had already reduced the baking time 5 minutes, but 5 minutes before the timer went off, I started  smelling the cake.  When I finally got around to looking in, about 2 minutes before the timer, the cake was pretty browned.  No worries, the yummy frosting will cover up any imperfections.

Although the recipe suggests topping this cake with shredded carrot, I love the look of the marzipan carrots you often see at the grocery store.  Not ever worked with marzipan, I decided to try something else.  Little carrots made out of orange and green chocolate discs.  (Hello Cupcake makes some with orange and green starbursts, but I did not have any)

I traced some carrots on the back of parchment paper and then melted the chocolate discs in freezer bags in the microwave.  Cut a little notch in the corners and started creating!

.

Here is what I came up with.

Here is the cake decorated for individual slices.

Here is the delicious, moist and pretty cute slice on a plate.

Although we are not serving it until tomorrow I wanted to take the picture and of course take a bite!!

I am hopeful the cream cheese frosting will harden up slightly.  I have not covered it yet and if you did there would be quite the mess.

Happy Easter and Passover to all my wonderful readers!

Don't forget to enter the two giveaways going on right now.

If you have school aged children or are a teacher you need to enter  the 8oz bottle of Prefense Hand Santizer Giveaway HERE.

Just for being a follower you are eligible to enter the $12 Amazon Gift Card. ENTER HERE


Carrot Cake: From Cooking LIght Magazine

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups grated carrot
• 1 1/2 cups canned crushed pineapple, drained
• Cooking spray
• Frosting:
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Additional grated carrot (optional)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, pecans, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine oil and eggs; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated carrot, and pineapple into flour mixture. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cake. Garnish each serving with grated carrot, if desired.

9

Carrots you children will definitely eat!

Easter is turning into Halloween around here these days.  Between the easter egg hunts, which results in a multitude of candy, to the easter basket itself.  I saw this great idea on NO FUSS FABULOUS  which should help  reduce the amount of candy they are consuming.   It is quick, easy and edible all the things I like for a craft.  

I was diappointed when I ran into the BenFranklin Store and they did not have the inexpensive cone shaped bags I usually buy.  I could have bought Wilton icing bags but they were too expensive for the few I needed.  I really did not have the time to go searching to other craft stores.

I improvised and made a cone shaped bag out of a rectangle.  Here is how I did it.

  

Fold the bottom of the bag so only the corner is visible.

Tape it along the back.

Fill with orange food.  I like the bunnies for easter, the other web site used goldfish.  Also cheese popcorn, the orange kind, would be fun too.

Tie with ribbon

It is not perfect, but will take up space in the Basket and I won't feel bad about them eating them!!

How about adding a name tag as a cute place holder at the table or party favor.  Better snack than candy while they are waiting for dinner!

Fill with the popcorn for adults for a late night snack!!

Don't forget to enter the two giveaways going on right now.

If you have school aged children or are a teacher you need to enter  the 8oz bottle of Prefense Hand Santizer Giveaway HERE.

Just for being a follower you are eligible to enter the $12 Amazon Gift Card. ENTER HERE

Prefense Hand Sanitizer Review & giveaway

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By no means am I a germa foab if that is even spelled correctly.  By the time my third child came around I just rubbed off the pacifier when it fell on the ground.  However, having 3 school aged children I don't love to share the many illnesses that fly around school.

I was very excited to test Prefense, an alcohol free, silica based hand sanitizer.
Like the other products on the market, is provides antibacterial protection for hands.  However, this product stays proactive for 10 hand washings.  


I know that sounds hard to believe and there is really no way to prove it but it definitely has a different feeling on your hands.  It dries instantly with no residue.  With out the alcohol it does not have the trying affect of other sanitzers.

My kids also loved the foam application.  I overheard my 4 year old tell my husband he had to "use this before he went to work so he would be germ free for 24 hours, Dad that is all day".

There is really no long lasting scent either.  According to their studies, 1 1.5 oz bottle should last for 110 days (per person), while 1 bottle of the other would last only 22 days if you apply 5 x a day.  A 1.5 oz costs $8   To find a store near you go here.

Prefense protects against staph, strep, E.coli, drug resistant MRSA strains, and more. We fight germs that other hand sanitizers can’t.


What is best is that one lucky reader can win an 8oz bottle of Prefense. which offers 640 applications to one of your readers!  Open to U.S Residents only.  
Contest ends 4/26 @ 2pm EST


The  mandatory entry is to leave a comment on what you think about Prefense.  Follow Close to Home GFC, Twitter or Facebook.  1 entry


Follow Prefense on Facebook--1 entry

Follow Prefense on Twitter-- 1 entry
Sponsored by Tomoson.comI received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

500 Follower Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

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Wow I am so thankful once again for having such wonderful followers.  We hit 500 this weekend so I am hosting a giveaway.

A $12 Amazon Gift Card.  I know the amount is random but I earned it on crowdtap.  Since I won this they have changed their reward system and it is much more difficult to earn cash.

Anyway, we will make this giveaway easy.  Contest ends Wednesday, April 27th @ 1pm EST

Please leave a comment for each entry with your email in at least one.
1) You must be a GFC or email subscriber to enter--1 entry and let me know how long you have been a follower if you remember.
2) Follow Close to Home on Facebook-1 entry
3) Follow Close to Home on Twitter- 1 entry
4) Post giveaway on Twitter and leave your post--1 entry

Must be a resident of US or Canada.  Good luck and thanks again for reading my blog.

How to make colored shredded Coconut

This time of year dyed coconut can come in handy.  Cute little chickies with orange and yellow feathers, or edible easter grass.

It is really a simple process but thought I would show you how as well as the muffins my children created with the colored coconut.

SImply add shredded coconut into a plastic bag.  Add food coloring, I only had yellow in the liquid but I am sure gel will work nicely too.

Massage the coconut into the dye until it is absorbed.  If it is not dark enough add more dye, if too dark add more coconut and repeat.

I was making some lemon bread muffins for the school bake sale and thought I would transform the extra into something festive.

I cleared my hands of this one and just brought out some supplies for the kids after school.

I told them our snack was a food craft.  They were more excited then I was expected. I also get kudos as my daughter had a playdate that afternoon.

I let the kids use icing to glue on the coconut and let them explore with some candies I had around the house.

Here is what they came up with:

I was impressed they ate the coconut.

Or at least 2 did, here is my son's "french person".

  I love crafting with food with the kids but be prepared for a mess.  After all the baking I did and then this my kitchen was less than desirable.

Cookie Dough Truffles

Once this week is over I think I can come back to blogland with more consistent posts.  Why is spring so busy with kids activities and demands from their schools?

Anyway, do you all remember eating chocolate chip cookie dough right out of the tube?  Well if you love that taste, but don't want to worry about the uncooked eggs, you have to try this recipe.

My friend makes this every year for a cookie exchange and they are a favorite.  This weekend I needed some recipes of my college days and thought this would be appropriate.  The recipe suggests they can be stored in the fridge for 3 days.  I was not wanting to leave everything to the last minute so I decided to try making the cookie dough about 10 days before and freeze.  This way I could finish them off the day or so before.

I rolled each dough ball and placed on a piece of parchment lined baking sheet.  I froze them like that for one hour or until firm and them placed in a freezer bag.  I took them out of the freezer and into the fridge the night before I was going to coat them as I was not sure if they would defrost and add too much water to the chocolate.

Don't have a double boiler, no worries, make your own.




I also found that dipping the balls with a fork allowed for smoother looking product than a spoon.

Here they are:

The chocolate was nice and shiny and the cookie dough brought back many people's late night dorm memories!!

I could not resist the presentation, I don't think anyone dug in that night!!

I had left over chocolate and I can not waste chocolate.  I looked in my pantry and found thin preztel sticks and peanuts.  I just broke up the pretzels slightly and added the nuts.  I dropped them on the sheet by the tablespoon.

Being close to Easter I had some egg candy on hand...

I only need 5 more GFC followers and I will host a giveaway!!

Cookie Dough Truffles

• 1/2 cup(s) butter, with salt, softened


• 1/2 cup(s) brown sugar, firmly packed
•

 1/4 cup(s) sugar
•

1/4 cup(s) egg beaters
• 1 tsp vanilla
•

1 1/4 cup(s) flour
•

 1 cup(s) miniature semi-sweet, chocolate chips


• 1 package(s) semi-sweet chocolate chips
•

1 tbsp shortening

1.  Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugars. 



2. Add egg substitute, vanilla, beat well. Mix in flour. Stir in mini chips. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.



3. Shape into 1/2" to 1" balls. Freeze until firm. 



4. Melt chips and shortening. Using 2 forks, quickly dip frozen truffles into melted chocolate (dip entire ball or just half). Place on wax paper to harden. Store in fridge for 3 days.

Easter Ideas

Before I get started with new Easter crafts and recipes I thought I would reintroduce you to some of the ideas I have done in the past years.  It is a good thing Easter is late this year, as  I have been preoccupied with a few event I am involved with at home and the kids school.  I have not been able to do too many posts recently.  If the event at home is a success I will definitely post some ideas from that one.

Here are some of my favorite Easter activities and brunch recipies I have done:

Easter Candy and Treats

 

Easter Nests-Place cards or party favors

Simple Decorating Ideas

Brunch Recipes

Look forward to branching out this year into some new activities and recipes.

Stuffed Flank Steak in the Crock Pot

I have never dreamed of trying a steak, let alone a flank steak in a crock pot.  I mentioned before that I had bought the cookbook Make it Fast, Cook It Slow.  The idea of Apples and feta made me very happy and why not try it in a slow cooker.  

The filling is actually enough to put extra on a mixed green salad as a side dish.  Wow one effort chopping, 2 dishes. 

 Not sure why you could not make it this far and put it in your fridge until you were ready to turn on your crock pot....  Also notice you do not have to peel your apples.

This is the hardest part and obviously proof I have never done anything like this

This was good but next time I might put it in the oven to control the doneness as I

really like my meat medium rare.  While this cooking I made the Easy Risotto at the same time!

Overall a tasty meal and little fuss once you do all the chopping.

Stuffed Flank Steak 

--1 or 2 pieces of flank steak

--1/2 cup honey

--1/2 cup soy sauce 

--1 green apple

--1/3 cup raw almonds

--1/2 block feta cheese

--2 chopped garlic cloves

You can find the rest of the recipe HERE and the book here.