Craftfully Made

Here is a great idea for kids to make for their friends, teachers, and loved ones for Valentine’s day.

Materials:

3 tbls butter or margarine

1 package (10 oz., about 40) marshmallows

6 cups Rice Krispies

Funnel

Aluminum Foil

Paper

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat.  Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Stir in food coloring and flavoring if desired.  Remove from heat.  Add Rice Krispies. Stir until well coated.  Let cool for 2 minutes.

Spray funnel with Pam.  Spoon mixture into funnel and compact down to form the kiss shape.  Turn funnel upside down releasing the mixture on a cookie sheet.  Let cool for 30 minutes.

Using foil squares, wrap each kiss.  I found that pulling the foil in a diagonal motion looked more realistic compared to a chocolate kiss.  Print out a special message and cut into strips.  Add your special message before sealing the top of the kiss.

Take it to the next level:

-Add food coloring to the melted marshmallows for colored kisses (I used 8 drops of red to get this shade of pink)

-Use Cocoa Krispies for a chocolate flavored treat

-Add flavoring to the melted marshmallows (I used peppermint)

Krispie Kisses Message

For another idea using Rice Krispies Treats check out http://www.ricekrispies.com/#/recipes/valentine-cut-out-treats

The Hallmark holiday is quickly approaching…will you be in a loving spirit?  Although many people brush off Valentine’s Day as a useless holiday, I find the holiday to be more than just chocolates and cheesy cards.  If you allow yourself to celebrate love I am sure you will wear a smile on your face and have a better attitude.  Even if you are not in the arms of the perfect mate, Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate all the love in your life.

Here are a few ideas to get the love flowing in your life:

-Add a few spots of red, pink, and white into your decor.  Hearts are a must!

-Find some local valentine’s cards to send out to family and friends

-Bake.  Food warms the soul and makes even the coldest heart smile.

-Make plans for February 14th no matter your romantic situation.  Not having any plans will just leave you miserable, even if you are in love.  No matter how hard you fight it, this is an important date.  If you find yourself alone, celebrate yourself by eating a delicious meal and taking a bubble bath.

Materials:

Large vase

Small vase (needs to fit inside large vase)

Flowers (real or artificial)

Candy (I used conversation hearts and red hots)

Ribbon

This is a cute idea to bring drama into a centerpiece for Valentine’s Day and is simple to do.  Gather all your materials and have them close at hand.

Place the small vase inside the larger one.  Pour 2 inches of candy into the large vase to make sure the smaller vase is secure.  Place your flowers in the small vase and arrange as you desire.  Continue filling the larger vase with candy up to the brim.  If you have difficulty getting the candy into the vase, roll a sheet of paper to use as a funnel.  To add a finishing touch, use any ribbon to tie a bow around the vase.

So for anyone who is scared to try new ideas out of fear of failure…get over it.  I saw this cute idea online and thought it would be super fun and easy.  Through a little trial and error I got one good looking cookie out of a dozen.   Don’t take shortcuts on this one and you will be more successful than me plus have beautiful cookies.

Start with your favorite sugar cookie dough.  I took the easy way and got a box mix at the store, which turned out to be a big mistake.  Make sure the dough is nice and cold.  Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with Pam.

Roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick on parchment paper with flour so the dough will not stick.  Cut out cookies with a large shaped cookie cutter. Using a smaller cookie cutter remove the center of the cookie.  Place on the cookie sheet.

Place hard candies (I used Jolly Ranchers) in a zip lock bag and crush them into smaller pieces.  Place the crushed candy into the center of the cookie.  Be careful to not overfill the center.  Bake according to your recipe, about 8-10 minutes.  The edges of the cookie should be light brown and the candy melted.  Let cool for 5 minutes or until the candy has hardened.

A few tips and tricks:

-try coloring the dough red or pink

-use a textured cookie cutter to add a ruffled effect to the edge of the cookie

-make sure the cookie sheet is placed in the middle of the oven for even cooking.  Rotate the sheet half way through the cooking time.

Here are my results:

Here is the original recipe:

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/lovin-from-the-oven-685398