Carrots Anyone?

These are the best tasting carrots you will ever have!
This year instead of making "egg" cookies for Easter, my kids wanted something different! They decided on "carrot" cookies! They did turn out quite cute! Check out the "egg" sugar cookies we usually make and get the yummy recipe!

Peep Pops

I saw the cutest Peep Pops in the store! But they were $1.78 each, so I decided that I would try to make my own for a lot less money!

Items needed:
   Yellow chick peeps
   Blue chick peeps
   Pink chick peeps
   Purple or green chick peeps
   8"-12" sucker sticks
   2¾” x 2½” x 9" Gusset Cellophane bags
   ⅝” sheer pastel ribbon
   Cute tag

Take one of each color peep being sure that one of the peeps is from the end of a row with white marshmallow showing on only one side.
Line the peeps up side by side so that the sides with the white marshmallow showing are touching. They will stick together nicely.
Now insert a sucker stick so that the “end” peep will be at the top of your sucker. The stick should go all the way through each peep except the "end" peep. It should go into the end peep, but not all the way out the top.
You can use your fingers to spread the peeps out a little, as they are now kind of squished together.
Insert peeps into a gusset bag.
Tie with your ribbon and add your cute tag.


Now make several and you have a gorgeous Peep Bouquet!!


Note:
Look online for cute tags to go with your Peep Pop! There are many cute ones to choose from.

Sugar Cookies

   I have found the perfect sugar cookie recipe! Forget about that long chill time in the refrigerator. These are ready to roll and bake as soon as the dough is mixed up. My kids love to "paint" the cookies after they cool! Thanks, Betty Crocker, for this awesome recipe!

Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
   1½ cups powdered sugar
   1 cup butter, softened
   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   ½ teaspoon almond extract
   1 egg
   2½ cups all-purpose flour
   1 teaspoon baking soda
   1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract, and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheet lightly or use an ungreased baking stone. Divide dough in half. Roll each half ¼ inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes. Place on cookie sheet or baking stone, and bake 7 to 8 minutes or until the edges are light brown. Cool on wired rack. Decorate as desired.

Notes:

• My kids love to decorate "Easter egg" cookies. Just make a lot of glaze... all different colors, and layer your designs on!
  
• I like to use small cookie cutters. It makes cute bite sized cookies, and makes the rolling out go much faster.
  
• If you do find the dough too soft to roll out, you can chill it until it is a little stiffer. (I wouldn't chill for more than 30 minutes if you're planning to roll them out right away. If you chill them longer, your dough will be very stiff, and you will have to let it softened back to room temperature.)
  
• You may sprinkle with granulated sugar before baking, or after cooling.
  
• You can paint the cookies after they are cooled with a glaze made out of powdered sugar and milk (food coloring can be added).
  
• I found this recipe in Betty Crocker’s Creative Cookies book.

Edible Bird's Nest

   So I was looking for a cute Easter gift for the girls I teach at church. I found this adorable little bird's nest!

   Here are the instructions for making the nest.

Bird's Nest
Ingredients:
   2 cups miniature marshmallows
   ¼ cup butter
   1 (6-ounce) package chow mein noodles
   36 Mini Cadbury Eggs (or any egg shaped candy)

Place the chow mein noodles in a large, plastic mixing bowl and set aside.

Butter each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan.

Place the butter in the Pampered Chef large micro-cooker (or you can use any medium sized microwaveable bowl), and microwave until melted (about 60 seconds). Add the marshmallows to the melted butter and microwave for about 45 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir marshmallows and butter together until smooth and mixed well. (Use a plastic scraper or spoon to do the stirring, so the marshmallow doesn't stick as much.)

Pour the marshmallow mixture over the noodles, and fold gently until all the noodles are coated evenly.

Butter your fingers, and press mixture on bottom and up sides of each buttered cup leaving a well for eggs. Place 3 Mini Cadbury Eggs in each nest. (It looks better if you use three different colored eggs.)

Refrigerate at least two hours or until firm. Remove from refrigerator. Let nests sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes; remove nests from cups.

   I placed my nests in a cellophane bag with a twist tie. I wanted to have a cute poem or saying attached, but could not find the right one... so... I wrote my own.

Spring is the time life starts anew,
A time to think more about things that we do.
Do the things that you think and do each day,
Lead others to Christ to learn of His ways?
∼ by Kim Bennett ∼
   I think the poem was the perfect touch to make this gift special!! You can print out the tags I made with the poem here.

   These are so cute! I can't wait to give them to my girls!

Notes:
If you want to make the nests using the stove top, combine marshmallows and butter in 2-quart saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted (6 to 8 minutes). Stir in noodles until very well coated. Proceed as above.