Bling Baby: Kiddie Corner

JANUARY 29TH TOPIC: FROZEN NANA ICE CREAM

My daughter's favorite food (right now) is a banana. To mix things up a bit, I decided to surprise her with a healthy treat that's fun to make and eat!

What you need:

*2 Frozen bananas cut into quarters
*About 1 cup milk (depending on size of bananas)
*Nutella (or any topping you want)
*3oz paper cups or dish of your choice
*Blender or Food Processor

Directions:

*Mix frozen bananas and half the milk in blender or food processor

*Gradually add in more milk as needed until mixture is smooth and creamy

*Spoon out your frozen nana ice cream into the 3oz paper cups

*Add a spoonful of nutella or any topping of your choice

*Makes about 4-5 servings

*Enjoy!

Using the 3oz paper cups is a good idea if you want to freeze some of the leftovers. Plus, it's a perfect size for kids to hold and is the perfect serving size!!

JANUARY 4TH TOPIC: EASY AS PIE... SOUP!

This is such a great healthy meal that is super easy to make. You can take any left over veggies in your fridge and turn it into a yummy meal.

WHAT YOU NEED:

*a crock pot and a frying pan or wok

*1-2 cups beef broth

*1 can Don Pepinos pizza sauce (or any red sauce ("gravy") or crushed tomatoes)

*1/4c Grated cheese (I used Pecorino Romano)

*veggies chopped up (I used peppers, onions, eggplant, and potatoes)

*olive oil

*salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

*In the crock pot (set temp to LOW), pour in the 1-2 cups of beef broth

*In the frying pan/wok add olive oil (enough to coat the veggies), and all the chopped veggies

*Stir veggies so they are all coated with olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste

*Keep in pan until veggies start to soften (about 10min), stirring occassionally

*Pour contents of pan into crock pot and add the red sauce; add salt and pepper to taste

*Keep crock pot on LOW for 4-5hrs, stirring occassionaly

DECEMBER 23RD TOPIC: QUICK LAST MINUTE DESSERTS/ HOSTESS GIFTS

Time is a tickin'! Only hours until Christmas Eve!! If you are in a pinch for yummy dessert or gift ideas, here are two great easy-to-make treats that my cousin passed on to me: chocolate mice and oreo truffles

For Chocolate Mice: Dip a cherry into melted chocolate, set dowon on wax paper, hold the fat part of an unwrapped Hershey kiss up to the cherry until it stays attached to cherry, put 2 sliced almonds in between kiss and chocolate dipped cherry to create mouse ears, and use gel icing to dot eyes onto the mouse!
For Oreo Truffles: Mix 8oz of softened cream cheese and 1 package of finely crushed oreos (*save 1/4c of the crushed oreos to top the truffle), roll mixture into 1in balls, refrigerate for at least 1-2hrs, dipped chilled balls into melted chocolate and lay balls on wax paper, then sprinkle remaining crushed oreos onto top of truffles. Keep chilled until ready to serve! Makes about 36

If giving as a gift, you can wrap them in a cute box with ribbon and a little gift tag (pictured above).

DECEMBER 19TH TOPIC: NO BAKE CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES!

With only days left before Christmas, this easy recipe from Food & Wine is sure to be a hit at your holiday party and only takes minutes to make!!

No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies
INGREDIENTS

4 cups sweetened puffed-corn cereal like Corn Pops (4 ounces)

4 large peanut butter cups (3 ounces each)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

About 3/4 cup chocolate sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor, grind 3 cups of the corn cereal to a powder. Add the peanut butter cups and peanut butter and process until the mixture is glossy and comes together, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup of corn cereal and process until very finely chopped and the mixture just holds together; you should still see small flecks of cereal.

2. Roll the mixture into a 9-inch log and wrap in plastic. Roll the log back and forth until smooth. Unwrap the log and spread the chocolate sprinkles on the plastic wrap. Roll the log in the sprinkles, pressing to help them adhere. Wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. Cut the log into 18 pieces and roll the edges in any leftover sprinkles. Serve.

Make Ahead The sliced cookies can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

DECEMBER 4TH TOPIC: WINTER WONDERLAND JUST $10/CHILD!

This looks like a great event for weekend fun. Saturday Dec 8th from 10am-12pm enjoy hot chocolate, a cookie bar, multicultural crafts & activities, story time, and PLAY!

For more details click HERE

DECEMBER 3RD TOPIC: MARSHMALLOW CANDY CANE CRAFT!

Homeade decorations are fun to make and can create special lasting holiday memories for years to come. This marshmallow candy cane is adorable and can be used as a decorative hang or as an ornament!!

What you need:

*bendable wire

*marshmallows

*glue9hot gluegun works best)

*ribbon

*decorative embellishment (optional)

*glitter spray paint (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bend the wire into your desired size candy cane

2. Thread wire through center of marshmallows

3. Tie a ribbon into a bow around the wire inbetween the 2nd and 3rd marshmallows (as pictured), making the ribbon long enough to hang as an ornament on the tree

4. Glue decorative embellishment onto center of bow

5. Glue ends of marshmallows together to ensure they don't slide off wire

6. Spray sparkle glitter onto marshmallows (make sure to use spray outside or in a well ventilated area)

7. Let dry, then enjoy!

NOVEMBER 26TH TOPIC: A CHRISTMAS VILLAGE YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE!

Tis' the season for fun holiday adventures for you and your little ones. Growing up as kids, my sister, neighbors, and I will never forget one holiday tradtion: Koziar's Christmas Village. Every winter we would take the almost 2 hour drive to Bernville. Anticipation grew as we drove down the mile long stretch of darkness and finally up the huge hill. Our parents would drive extremely slow to build up our excitement. Once reaching the top of the hill, a huge valley of Christmas cheer exploded in your eyes. Year after year we'd all scream and cheer in the car, like we never saw anything so magical. If there is one place to visit this season, it's Christmas Village!!

QUICK OVERVIEW:

Price: 3 and under FREE, 4-10 $7, 11-64 $9, Seniors 65+ $8

Hours: Thru Jan 1st: Mon-Fri 6pm-9pm, Sat 5pm-9:30pm, Sun 5pm-9pm (check the site for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's hours)

Food: They have a snack shop, but don't serve full lunches/dinners

Photo with Santa! $8

FREE PARKING!!

OCTOBER 27TH TOPIC: PREPARING FOR HURRICANE SANDY!

Hurricanes and tropical storms are scary, and the damage they cause can be unpredictable. Here are a few tips to better prepare you and your family for Hurricane Sandy:

*FUEL UP: Make sure your cars are filled with gas (or hybrids charged and fueled) in case you need to make an emergency car ride out of town

*EMERGENCY KIT: Keep an emergency kit handy and make sure to include any medications you or your family currently take

*CHARGE IT UP: Keep phones, computers, and other devices charged up in case the power goes out

*STAY HYDRATED & STOCK UP: Keep water handy... about 1 gallon per day per person and stock up on non-perishable foods

*PACK A BAG: Keep a bag of essentials packed for the family in case you need to leave your home. Keeping a few small games for the family (like cards) will help pass the time!

*DOCUMENTATION: If possible pack any important documentation (license, credit cards, insurance info, birth certificates, passports, etc.) This will make it much easier to travel

*TAKE PROPERTY PHOTOS: If possible, take photos or a video of the interior and exterior of your house as an extra measure to show your house wasn't in the same state prior to the storm (if your home/car/property gets hit by the storm)

*TIE IT DOWN: To minimize damange to your property and your neighbors, store any outside furniture, potted plants, lawn ornaments, outside toys, etc. in a safe place. Any objects too big to store (like a large outdoor canopy or tent) should be tied down if possible

STAY SAFE!!!!!!

OCTOBER 22ND TOPIC: CHILDHOOD MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME!

Looking for a special way to capture your child painting their first masterpeice? Or maybe you are looking for a creative gift to give to someone special? Well Zoey's Art is exactly what you are looking for! Michelle creates a beautiful photobook documenting your child's painting experience ,and you get to keep the timeless artwork when the session is over. For more details go to http://zoeysart.com or check out their Facebook Page

OCTOBER 21ST TOPIC: EASY PEASY SNACK TIME

My new favorite snacks are by Betty Crocker. You add 1/2 c of water to the mix, pour mix into a cupcake pan, bake for 16-21 min and you're done! All for under $2!!!!

OCTOBER 16TH TOPIC: POPCORN PARK ZOO

I found an ad in South Jersey Mom Magazine about Popcorn Park Zoo and was interested in finding out more. What makes Popcorn Park so special is that each animal was rescued from suffering! I looked up the reviews for this zoo on Yelp, Trip Advisor, Yellow Pages, and a few other sites. Every site rated Popcorn Park Zoo 4.5-5 stars.

DETAILS:

Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7 days a week

Holidays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Admssion:

Adults - $5.00, tax included

Seniors and Children under 12 - $4.00, tax included

Children under 3 - Free!

School or other groups taking tours - $2.50 per person, including tax

Refreshments: Cold drinks, ice cream, popcorn and peanuts available

Facilities: Picnic area

For more details CLICK HERE

OCTOBER 15TH TOPIC: TURN THAT KITCHEN MESS INTO A CRAFTING SUCCESS!

If you're a parent (or remember being an inquisitive little kid), then a vision of spaghetti poured all over the kitchen is a familiar one. Well now you can turn that messy floor into a fun craft!

SPAGHETTI WITCH BROOM

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

A stick from outside

1/4 box uncooked Spaghetti (or use as much or as little as you want)

Mod Podge or crafting Glue

1 rubberband

Festive Fall ribbon

A decorative fall resin bead or button

CRAFT INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Dip bottom 2 inches of stick in Mod Podge or glue

2. Dip top 2 inches of spaghetti in Mod Podge or glue

3. Surround bottom 2 inches of stick with top 2 inches of spaghetti

4. Use a rubberband to keep the spaghetti in place around the stick

5. Wrap ribbon around the broom to cover rubberband & tie a bow

6. Add a decorative accessory to the center of bow or above bow (optional)

7. Tie another piece of ribbon around top of stick to hang the broom

OCTOBER 14TH TOPIC: SUNDAY FUN DAY AT JOHNSON'S CORNER FARM!

Celebrate this beautiful day with a fun trip to Johnson's Farm in Medford, NJ. There's so much to do on this BUDGET FRIENDLY day trip to the farm...

ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!!

Fall Harvest Festival
Every weekend:
Hayrides to Pick Pumpkins 10AM-5PM
Discovery Barn Yard & Animal Farm
MUSIC, Food Tent
Moon bounce, Corn Maze

PRICING:

Pumpkins: $.79/lb, Gourds $1.79/lb

Hayriders: $3.50 per person (1 ticket)

Discovery Barnyard & Animal Farm: $7.00 per child, $3.50 per adult or teenager

Moon bounce: $3.50 per person (1 ticket)

Corn Maze: $3.50 per person (1 ticket)

OCTOBER 12TH TOPIC: GET ORGANIZED BEFORE THE CRAZINESS!

Every year I tell myself I need to get organized as I'm untagling lights, trying to find ornaments, and fluffing up my wreaths. Well, this year I'm actually thinking ahead! Make the holiday season fun and easy for you and your kids.

Avon sells great holiday organization items that can be used for any holiday... and the best is that they are all under $20! To see these products and many more, go to the Avon website!

GIFT WRAP STORAGE ORGANIZER $14.99

40"L x 14"W x 5"H

Great for storing wrapping paper, gift wrap, and other gift wrapping accessories

HOLIDAY ORNAMENT STORAGE

$19.99

24 1/2"W x 13"H x 8 1/2"D

2 Tier Case holds up to 63 ornaments

Perfect for storing all your holiday ornaments in one spot

SEASONAL WREATH STORAGE

$12.99

8"H x 20"D

2 compartments each with a viewing window to see what wreath is stored

HOLIDAY LIGHT STRING STORAGE

$16.99

12 3/4"L x 7 1/2"W x 7 1/2"H

No more tangled lights with this time saving organizer! Stores up to 3 light strands

OCTOBER 10TH TOPIC: QUICK YUMMY WEEKEND BREAKFAST

There's nothing better than waking up on a chilly Fall morning to the smell of maple syrup and a little chai latte. Why not add some delicious pumpkin pancakes to make the breakfast complete?! Trader Joe's makes an AMAZING Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix. And it's only $2.99 for a box!

Ingredients to make the Pancakes:

1 cup Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix
2 tbsp melted butter
3/4 cup milk
1 egg lightly beaten
OPTIONAL: Trader Joe's 100% Pure Maple Syrup (I think it was about $5.99 and worth every penny!)
Enjoy Sunday Brunch!!