January 23rd, 2012 · 2 Comments
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Groundhog’s Day is next week and I was racking my brain for something fun to do to celebrate with the kids. Since all of the fun occurs in the morning – Punxatawney Phil gets up pretty early to see his shadow – I thought a breakfast treat would be ideal. So, I came up with these Groundhog’s Day Pancakes and I think they came out pretty cute, if I do say so myself. You can make them and surprise the kids when they come down for breakfast or have fun cooking together.
Here’s how to make the the Groundhog and his Shadow.
You can use any Pancake recipe you like. Here’s a good, basic pancake recipe from MarkBittman.com. However, I used a Whole Wheat Pancake Mix for this project. Whole wheat flour made the pancakes a little more brown in color which was perfect for a Groundhog. I made a double batch of pancake mix, split it in half into two separate bowls, and added black food coloring to half of the mix for the shadow pancakes.
I used my Pancake Dispenser Pen to pour out the batter into a circle head shape and then added little ears. (I have to say, of all the weird kitchen gadgets I’ve bought, I use my Pancake Dispenser Pen a lot.) If you don’t have a pancake pen, it’s no problem, just use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour the mix onto the griddle making one big circle and then adding to little circles to the top for the ears. I made the “brown” Groundhog pancakes first and kept them warm in the oven. Then, I made the black batch of pancakes and tried to make them about the same size as the brown pancakes.
For the face, I used sliced bananas for the cheeks, strawberries for the ears and tongue, a blueberry for the nose and finally two chocolate chips for the eyes. To assemble, put the shadow pancake down on the plate first, the brown pancake on top and then decorate the face.
My daughter and I played around with two other design versions to see which we liked best. What do you think?
Shadow or no shadow, your kids will love this fun breakfast idea to help celebrate Groundhog’s Day next week.
Here’s even more ideas on how to celebrate Groundhog’s Day with the Kids. If you are on Pinterest, you can follow my Groundhog’s Day Fun Board or any of the other boards I’ve created to have more fun with your family. Need an invitation to join Pinterest? Shoot me an email at sue (at) chocolatecakeclub.com and I’ll invite you.
Tags: Cooking with the Kids · Holiday Fun
January 20th, 2012 · No Comments
Well, this just takes all. I woke up this morning to read that today, January 21st is National Squirrel Appreciation Day. Who knew?!? Who knew it was their day, let alone that they feel under-appreciated. Knowing that any rodent can have its own day now, I can’t wait for Elephant Shrew Day. What is an elephant shrew, you ask? It’s my daughter’s favoritest new animal and she feels that they deserve a day too.
But I digress. Back to the squirrels. I want to know what prompted someone to call for a National Squirrel Appreciation Day. Were they not getting enough attention? They are in every commercial out there now. I think they even have Hollywood agents. You don’t see moles getting their own commercials. What’s wrong with moles?
Sure, squirrels are cute. Sure, they are entertaining when they are chasing each other around the yard. But, they also eat my Halloween pumpkins and they ate all of the candy out of our Easter eggs one year. The yard looked like a pastel-colored yard sale once they got through cracking the plastic eggs. The kids were crushed. What’s up with that, squirrels?
However, if you love squirrels, today is the day to show them some appreciation. Here are some tips and a fun squirrel video from the National Wildlife Federation on 7 Ways to Celebrate National Squirrel Day.
Enjoy your day, Squirrels!
Tags: Cool Finds
January 19th, 2012 · 1 Comment
Yesterday, we shared some information on how you can have fun this weekend with the kids by learning all about a new culture and celebrating Chinese New Years. To add even more fun, here are some fun craft ideas to do with the kids.
Egg Carton Dragon Craft
With an empty egg carton and some paint, you can make a very cool-looking dragon.
Dragon Parade
Make some paper dragons and start a parade around the house.
Paper latern
During the Festival of Lanterns, children carry candle-lit lanterns in the street. Here’s an easy way to make a paper lantern.
Firecrackers
Using some household cardboard tubes, your kids will love making these red firecrackers to decorate the house.
Dragon Costume
This traditional Traditional “Chase the Tail” Game is so fun with this easy Dragon Costume for kids.
Tutorial on How to Draw a Chinese Dragon Head
I love Chinese Dragons. They are so magestic looking. If you have some little artists at home, see if they can draw you a Chinese Dragon from this tutorial.
Make a Good Luck Red Envelope
During Chinese New Years, it is traditional for parents and grandparents to give kids red envelopes filled with money or trinkets for good luck. It’s easy to make your own.
Chinese Tea Party
While this isn’t specifically a Chinese New Year celebration, Amy at LivingLocurto.com shared a very fun idea for a kids’ Chinese Tea Party. There are a few fun activities and snacks you can adapt for your celebration.
Tell me which craft are you going to make with the kids? If you have any other craft ideas, please share in the comments section. I’d love to see them.
Tags: Holiday Fun
January 18th, 2012 · 1 Comment
Looking for a reason to celebrate this weekend? Want to try something fun and new with the kids? Try celebrating the Chinese New Year and learn all about a new culture.
I did a little research online and learned that Chinese New Years celebrations last 15 days and end with the Lantern Festival. Each of the 15 days has a different tradition or activity as part of the celebration. According to several sites, New Years is the most festive holiday of the year in China and it is a time to be home with family and fiends. A time to cook and enjoy food together. So, I’m in!
I was very excited that a friend of mine, who is very active with the Chicago Chinese Cultural Institute, invited my family to join hers at the Institute’s 8th Annual Chinese New Year Family Dinner. We are going to learn how all about the Holiday, learn how to make dumplings, and enjoy a Chinese Lion Dance. My kids are thrilled! My son loves Chinese dumplings as much as he does donuts and they always have a blast in Chicago’s Chinatown. I don’t know if the dinner is sold out but if you live in Chicago and are interested, here’s the link to register.
Chinese New Year starts next Monday, January 23rd. Their calendar is different from the traditional western calendar because it is based on the lunar cycles of the moon. So, the date of the New Year changes every year depending on the moon’s cycle. 2012 is a special year because it’s the Year of the Dragon, supposedly the mightiest of the Chinese Zodiac animal figures. The Dragon stands for power, good luck, success, and happiness. My son was supposed to be born in the Year of the Dragon way back in 2000 but he missed it by about 10 days and ended up as a Rabbit. Story of our life.
In Chinese Astrology, every year is represented by an animal, within a 12 year cycle. The animal is said to represent certain qualities and depending on what year you were born or under which animal, it is believed that you exhibit the same characteristics. Here’s a good description of the Chinese Zodiac and the characteristics of each animal. For more information on Chinese New Years, Hellokids.com has some great kid friendly explanations.
Check back tomorrow when I share some great craft ideas to help celebrate Chinese New Years with the kids.
Do you celebrate Chinese New Years? If so, how does your family celebrate the Holiday?
Tags: Holiday Fun
January 12th, 2012 · 4 Comments
Got snow? We finally have snow here in Chicago! The kids (and I) are so excited. Since the kids have a long weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I wanted to dig up some fun ideas for getting outside and playing in the snow.
Sledding Party
Round up the kids in the neighborhood, and host a super fun, super casual a sledding party.
Snowball Forts and Snowball Fights
Whether you use your hands, loaf pans, buckets, or cut off platic milk cartons to make the walls of your super impenetrable fort, you’ll have a blast building a snow fort with the kids and letting the snow ball wars begin. Want a safer snow ball fight, a Mom on the SavvyMom.ca site suggested drawing chalk people on your fence or garage door and throwing your snowballs at those targets.
Build a Snowman
There is such simple joy in buiding a snowman with your kids. Here are some ideas for snowman fun.
Feed the Animals
Here’s a fun idea for a snowy bird feeder from Parents Magazine.
Snow Art
Give your kids spray bottles filled with water and colored with food dye and let them spray graffiti, I mean art, on the snow.
Make Snow Ice Cream
Scoop up the fresh, clean snow and make ice cream.
How do you and your kids like to play in the snow?
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10 Ideas to Keep the Kids Amused on When Off of School for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Celebrate Groundhog Day with the Kids
Tags: Winter Boredom Busters
