MEMORIAL DAY SPECIAL: Cool Coleslaw!

Just ‘cause you can’t man the BBQ doesn’t mean you can’t help out at your Memorial Day cookout! Side dishes are just as important as whatever Dad’s grillin’ over there, and this quick and easy recipe will help make you the star of the party!

Cool Coleslaw
This coleslaw takes no time at all, so throw it together the day of the party at least two hours before you serve it—it’ll get soggy if you do it the day before.

What You’ll Need:
2 Packages of broccoli slaw (1 lb. each)
1 Cup of your favorite bottled Ranch or Caesar dressing
¼ Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

What You’ll Do:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing and lemon juice. (If your bottled dressing is thick, you may want to add extra lemon juice.)
2. Taste the dressing to see if it needs sugar, salt, pepper or cayenne pepper.
3. Toss the dressing in the slaw until it’s evenly coated.
4. Cover with plastic wrap or transfer to a plastic container with a lid and refrigerate until serving time.

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Treasured Chests

Despite Pandora's experience to the contrary, lovely little boxes tend to harbor far more treasure than trouble. And there's no reason the containers themselves shouldn't rival their contents in elegance and allure.
An A-list of embellishments -- velvets, ribbons, and blossoms; embossed papers that mimic the textures of shagreen, leather, and lizard skin; glossy spray-on auto touch-up paint contrasted with delicate rice-paper cutouts; and romantic inscription panels inspired by the labels on vintage French pillboxes -- can transform packages that seem pedestrian into true gems. Add a few equally refined elements inside to keep everything from brooches to billets-doux safe, snug, and in place and the final results of your handiwork may feel too pretty to part with. What better way to let someone you love know how very special he or she is?
Well Contained
A Shaker-inspired oval wooden box lined with velvet ribbon holds smaller variations of itself, romantic repositories for family heirlooms or favorite baubles. The exteriors of the small boxes are brightened with salmon-colored milk paint, a coating traditionally used by American rustic-furniture makers.
Plain wooden boxes can be transformed into sleek luxury his-or-her jewel cases or desk accessories by covering them with papers embossed to resemble lizard skin, leather, and shagreen, the sharkskin favored by Louis XV.

Wooden Box How-To
1. Lightly sand exterior of an oval Shaker-style wooden craft box with fine-grit sandpaper; wipe clean. Apply 2 coats of milk paint if desired.

2. Select ribbon, measure inside perimeter of box, and trim ribbon to this length. (If box is deeper than the ribbon is wide, cut 2 lengths; if shallower, trim ribbon).

3. Apply paste-style glue, such as Yes Paste, to inside wall of box. Align edge of ribbon to top rim, and press so it adheres smoothly and ends abut cleanly. (If 2 lengths are needed, align first to bottom edge, then glue second ribbon on top, aligned with top edge.) Let dry.

4. Trace bottom of box on archival mat board. Cut 1/8 inch inside the line. Test to see that mat board oval fits into box; trim as needed. Place board on wrong side of lining fabric, and cut an oval 1/4 inch wider all around. Apply fabric glue to board, and affix it to reverse side of fabric. Smooth fabric. Glue down cloth edging on back side. When dry, fit panel, fabric side up, inside box.

Mother's Day Coupon Book

Mom can relax this Mother's Day once you hand her this book of coupons redeemable for chores and special favors!

Your mom will appreciate this gift and remember it forever, and she'll love when you help her out with the dishes, or take out the garbage. Use our coupon designs or make your own by simply filling in the blank!

Don't forget to visit our main Mother's Day page and to make mom a handmade card to go along with this wonderful coupon book.


What you'll need:
½ sheet cardstock
2 paper fasteners or stapler
Hole punch or sharpened pencil
Paper cutter
Stickers, foam stickers, markers, or anything else you would like to decorate with
Patterns (optional)*

How to make it:

Print out our coupon patterns, as many as you like.
Fill in the blanks on any of the coupons that are not filled out.
Use a paper cutter or scissors to cut out the coupons.
Use a pencil to sketch around a coupon onto the cardstock, about 1/2" larger than the coupon.
Cut the cardstock using the sketched line as a guide, cut two pieces for the cover and the back.
Use a hole punch or a sharpened pencil to poke holes in the coupons and the cardstock and assemble with the paper fasteners. Or you can simply staple the booklet together.
Decorate the front cover with markers, stickers, foam stickers, or whatever else you like.

Tips:
This craft is a favorite that Mom might want to save. Make two sets so she can keep one and use the other!
Instead of cardstock, you can use construction paper.
If using glitter glue to decorate the cover, be sure to allow for ample drying time.
Foam stickers are available at your local craft supply store.

*Go to kaboose.com for the patterns.

Twig Frame

Supplies needed:
Twigs
Twine or string
Glue (hot glue works well)
A photo for framing

Collect 2 bunches of twigs. One bunch (about 6 to 8) should be about 2 inches longer than your photo. The other bunch of twigs should be about 2 inches wider than your photo.
Arrange the twigs so that they surround the photo and extend outward about an inch in each direction. Tie the twigs at each corner using twine or string, making an "X" pattern.
Glue the photo onto the back of your twig frame. Hot glue works the best.
Glue a small loop of string to the top batch of twigs for hanging the photo.

Family Tree

Supplies needed:
Sky blue and green construction paper
Crayons or markers
Scissors
Some yarn
A hole punch
Styrofoam or paper cup
A lump of play dough or other clay
Glue stick

Find a twig with many branches.
Put a lump of clay in the bottom of a paper or styrofoam cup. Insert the twig securely so that it remains upright.
Cut out big leaves from the green construction paper. Each leaf will represent a person in the child's family and should be big enough to write that person's name on the leaf. Cut enough leaves for each of the child's siblings, parents, and grandparents (or more!).
Write the name of each person on their leaf. You might want to include the relative's relationship to the child, like "Grandma Joan Smith." Punch a hole on the end of each leaf.
Tie the leaves to the tree. The child's generation goes at the top of the tree, the parents at the second level, and the grandparents at the bottom.
For an alternative project, use photos, and paste them on the leaves. Or use cut-outs of leaves, fruit (like apples), and/or flowers to represent the people.

Miniature Japanese Garden

Supplies needed:
A small piece of very thick green paper (for the base of the garden) roughly 10 inches square or bigger
Blue, brown, orange, and green construction paper
Paper egg carton
Glue
Scissors
Markers or crayons
Some tiny pebbles

Start with a small square of very thick green paper to make the base of the garden. A piece about 10 inches square (about 25 cm) works well.
Cut some blue paper to make a stream through your garden and glue it to the green base. Glue on a small paper goldfish. A strip of brown paper makes a nice bridge across the water.
To make a tiny pagoda, use 3 paper egg carton sections. Cut each section's wide part so that it has four legs. Glue the three sections together as shown in the picture to the right.
Glue the pagoda to the garden's base.
To make a tree's trunk, roll up a small rectangle of brown construction paper and glue it to form a tube. Cut a few short slits on one end (you'll use these to glue the tree to the garden).
Open up the slits and glue to the garden's base.

Cut some leaf-like shapes from green construction paper and glue them to the tree trunk.
Glue some small pebbles on the garden base to make a little rock garden.

Pine Cone Bird Feeder

For each Pine Cone Bird Feeder you will need:
A large, open pine cone
Vegetable shortening, lard or suet
Oats or corn meal
Bird seed
A few feet of string

Tie a few feet of string to a pine cone. Cover the pine cone with the mixture below. Roll the pinecone in birdseed and then suspend it from a tree branch outside.
Food mixture: Mix 1/2 cup Vegetable shortening, lard or suet with 2 1/2 cups cornmeal or uncooked oats until well blended. Optional: add dried fruit (chopped up), chopped nuts, seeds (especially sunflower and millet), and/or suet, which are high-energy bird foods.

Tin Can Herb Pots

What you'll need:
Empty aluminum can
Screwdriver and hammer
Liquitex Basics Gesso
Acrylic craft paints in colors of your choice
Flower stickers (optional)
Acrylic sealer spray, matte finish
Craft or popsicle stick
Thin cardboard
Pinking shears
Black Sharpie marker
5-10 small rocks, stones or pebbles
1.5 cups Potting soil
4-inch potted herb plant
White craft glue
Water
How to make it:

Completely wash and dry aluminum can. If necessary, sand off any rough edges from opening of can.
Turn can upside down. Parent should use screwdriver or other pointed object to poke holes in the bottom of the can. Use a hammer to tap the end of the screwdriver to make the holes.
Paint outside of can with one coat of Gesso. Let dry completely.
Paint can desired color, repeat coats if needed.
Decorate however you like. Use a thin paint brush for long lines, dip the end of the paint brush into paint for polka dots.
Decorate with stickers if desired.
Spray the outside of the completed can with acrylic sealer spray. Let dry.
Place enough rocks or pebbles in the bottom of the can to form a single layer.
Add enough potting soil to fill the can two-thirds full.
Remove potted herb from its container and transplant into the can.
Fill edges with remaining potting soil, gently pat down so that plant is firmly in the can but not compacted so much that it’s too tight.
Place can on a plate (to catch any water drainage) and add some water to the newly planted herbs.
Paint craft stick whatever color you like. Allow to dry.
Cut a piece of thin cardboard into a small rectangle (about 1.5 x 3 inches) using pinking shears.
Paint both side of the cardboard with Gesso, let dry.
Glue the rectangle to the top of the craft stick.
Use a black Sharpie marker to write the herb name onto the rectangle.
Insert your plant marker into the soil, being careful not to crush any roots along the way.
Place your new garden in a sunny window and remember to water them!

Tips:
A 4-inch potted plant will be enough to make 2-3 vegetable sized cans (15 oz) or one larger tomato sauce type can (28 oz).
This is a great project to teach kids about growing plants, especially edible ones. Take this opportunity to visit your local library and check out a book on simple container gardening or gardening with kids.
Keep the kids involved, be sure they take care of “their” plant. Have them water their plant and show them how to check to see if the soil is too dry or just right by gently touching the soil surface with their finger.
Eat these herbs! Your kids will light up when they get to pinch off a basil leaf to add to your spaghetti sauce.

CD Case Wipeboard!

CD Case Wipeboard!
Here's a chance for your toddler to make his/her own mini wipeboard. You'll need an old plastic cd case for this activity. Remove the plastic cd holder part of the back cover on the case and put it aside. Then print out the "my first wipeboard" sheet and cut on the black line. Then place the cutout in the back of the cd case so that it showing on the backside of the case. Next, put the plastic cd holder part back in the case and close the case. You might want to tape the case shut depending on how curious your toddler is. Then let your toddler have fun writing on the back of the case over the "my first wipeboard" cutout with the shapes, letters and such! Ask your toddler to draw on the green circle, or inside the red star! Erase and draw again!

Supplies needed:
- printer and paper to print cutout shown in photo
- plastic cd case
- dry erase marker, non-toxic. ( washable markers and crayons will also work)
- scissors

Tips/Suggestions:
- If you don't have a printer you can always just cut out some paper and put it in the cd case. Cut the paper to a size of 4 5/8 " x 5 3/8 ".
- Talk about the shapes and letters and numbers that you see on the wipeboard while your toddler is drawing on it.

Laundry Bottle Pet Food Scoop

What you'll need:
Plastic laundry bottle
Felt in your favorite shades
White craft glue
Scissors or a sharp knife
Felt alphabet stickers (optional)

How to make it:
Have a grown up cut the top of the laundry bottle off, leaving the handle in tact.
Remove packaging labels and wash the outside to remove any residue.
Wash the inside thoroughly, making sure that all soap residue has been removed. A good rinse with very hot water will ensure all soap is gone.
If using felt alphabet stickers, stick them to the front of the bottle, spelling out your pet’s name. If you don’t have the felt stickers, simply cut your pet’s name out of felt and glue them to the bottle.
Cut out fun shapes such as bones, biscuits, and paw prints, and glue them all over the bottle.
Let dry completely before using.

Egghead Eggshell Planter

What you'll need:
Clean eggshell with just the top broken off
Half a cup of potting soil
Teaspoon of grass, wheat or rye seed
Five to six inch strip of card stock
Scissors
Glue or tape
Black marker (optional)

How to make it:
If you wish, decorate your strip of cardstock. We flecked some yellow and blue paint onto ours with an old toothbrush.
Tape or glue the cardstock into a ring to hold the egg.
Use a small spoon to fill the egg almost to the top with potting soil.
Sprinkle the soil with seed.
Add a thin layer of potting soil on the top.
Carefully water so as not to overflow or soak it.
Keep in a sunny location.
Your seeds will begin to sprout in a day or two and your egghead will grow "hair" in about a week! (See photo.)
If you like, you can decorate the outside of the egg with a black marker by drawing a face on your egghead.

Felted Recipe Box

What you'll need:
2 sheets purple felt
1 sheet dark purple felt
Scissors
White craft glue
Glue stick
Empty envelope box or other cardboard box
Greeting card or clip art printed on card stock

How to make it:
Trim top flaps off of cardboard box.
Cover box, inside and out, with purple felt. Use the glue stick for most of the application, secure seams and ends with white craft glue.
From the dark purple felt, cut 4 long strips about 1” wide.
Trim sides of each dark purple strip to add curves, or you can cut with decorative scissors to give them a scalloped look.
Glue strips onto each corner to cover any seams.
Cut out a pretty picture from an old greeting card or choose a piece of clip art and print it on card stock. Glue the picture to the front of the box.
Cut out small hearts from the greeting card and glue them onto the front of the box for further decoration.

Bouquet of Photo Flowers

What you'll need:
Construction paper, various colors
Glue stick
Photos
Scissors
Tape
Green chenille stems, one for each flower
Optional: patterned paper

How to make it:
Cut photos into circles to be used as the center of the flower.
Cut simple flower shapes out of construction paper.
Glue photo circle to the center of the flower.
This step is optional: Glue construction paper flower to a piece of patterned paper. Cut around the flower giving your construction paper about a half-inch border of patterned paper.
Tape chenille stem to the back of your flower. Make sure the tape is secure by pressing onto the tape with your fingernail.
Trim ends of chenille to the length you desire, depending on what you are using as a vase. If making a handheld bouquet, don’t trim the chenille; simply tie a ribbon bow around them all.

Bunny Ears for Kids

What you'll need:
White poster board
Pink construction paper
Scissors
Pencil
Tacky glue or school glue
Tape or stapler
Easter stickers, optional
Markes, crayons, or colored pencils; optional

How to make it:
Cut a strip of poster board about 2" wide by about 24" long.
Cut out 2 ears out of poster board each about 8 1/2" long x 3 1/2" wide.
Cut out 2 smaller ears out of pink construction paper.
Glue the pink ears inside the white ears.
Glue the ears inside the band, positioning to fit behind the child's head.
Let the child decorate the head band with stickers, markers, crayons, or colored pencils if they wish.
Tape or staple the band to fit the child. Cut off any excess.

Baby Megg Egg

With her paper tube body and glued-on features, this egghead family member will crack your kids up.
Want to make the entire egghead family? Find instructions for the rest of the clan at our Easter egg decorating party.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
brown and white hard-boiled eggs
toilet paper tubes
construction paper
glue sticks
scissors
yarn
paper
markers

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Craft Cardboard Body: Collect toilet paper tubes, construction paper, glue sticks, and kids' scissors, and arrange them on one end of the table. Invite your kids to make the bodies. First, help them cut the tubes to a desired height, then wrap a construction paper rectangle around the tube and glue it in place. Next, cut and glue on paper arms, ears, and accessories.

2. Glue on Face: Have kids pick and choose facial features from various craft supplies, such as colored paper cutouts, cotton balls, yarn, ribbon, pom-poms, googly eyes, and stickers (for easy access and simple sorting, we packed all the supplies in a large muffin tin). They can then use glue or double-sided tape to attach the features to the eggs. To make an egg-spressive baby, add a paper bib to her pink outfit and glue a paper bonnet and a few strands or tufts of yarn hair to her head.

3. Finishing Touches: To complete the egghead, place the egg on top of the tube body. Add any finishing touches with permanent marker, such as eyes, noses, rosy cheeks, and freckles.

The Bunny Basket

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Deep straw basket with handles
Paper
Scissors
Double-sided tape
Pink pom-pom
Cotton balls
Pipe cleaner
White felt
Pink, wire-edged ribbon
Glue
Paper crimp filling
Chocolate rabbits
Bunny storybook
Stuffed rabbit
Dyed eggs
Candies
Construction paper

Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Draw and cut out paper eyes for the bunny's face, and using double-sided tape, attach them to the basket.

2. Tape on a pom-pom nose, two cotton-ball cheeks, and a pipe-cleaner mouth.

3. For the ears, cut two white felt ear shapes and two slightly smaller ones from pink, wire-edged ribbon.

4. Glue the ribbon onto the felt and tape the ears to the basket handle.

5. Fill the basket with paper crimp filling, chocolate rabbits, a bunny storybook, a stuffed rabbit, dyed eggs, and candies.

6. For the tag, cut out a construction paper carrot.

Variations:
Other good ideas for basket filling: bunny stickers, figurines, or notepaper.

Easy Easter Egg Crafts

Having an Easter egg hunt? Giving a springy basket to your BFF? No matter how you're celebrating this holiday, awesome, decorated eggs are a must. How to get 'em? That simple dip 'n' dye is so last year! This Easter, add a li'l somethin' extra to your basket with these easy and fun egg crafts.

What You'll Need:
About 1 dozen hard boiled eggs - ask the 'rents for some help with this
since you can burn yourself if you aren't super careful.
1 box of bright crayons - neon hues work best
1 white wax crayon
1 Easter Egg Dying Kit like Pas or anything drug store brand.
2 or 3 household rubber bands
1 roll of lace or mesh ribbon
Any color glitter spread out in a bowl or plate.
White or clear glue
1 thin bristled paintbrush

Five Easy Egg Looks:

Pastel Picasso
When your eggs are still warm and fresh out of the pot, gently towel dry 'em. Then, use your wax crayon to draw original works of art. Because the egg heats up the crayon, you get a smooth color that looks like painting!

Shh...it's a Secret!
Use a white wax crayon to write anything you want across your Easter Egg. When you're finished, dip the egg into the dye of your choice. When the egg takes color, pull it out and towel it off gently with paper towels, making sure not to rub. Your secret message will appear in white against the rest of the egg's bright color.

Springtime Stripes
Secure a rubber band around your egg (careful - don't snap it or tie it around too many times or you might break the egg!). Place it in the dye. After you pull it out, gently towel dry it off and pull off the rubber bands. Voila! You've created clear stripes where the bands once were. Get different colored stripes by dipping your egg into another dye after the bands are off.

Fresh 'n' Fancy
Tie a piece of lace ribbon around your egg and secure the end with a rubber band. Dip your egg in your dye and wait a few minutes. Towel dry when you pull your egg out and carefully remove the lace. The imprint of the lace will create

Springy Sparklers
After your egg has been dyed the the color of your choice and dried, it's time to get sparklin'. Line up a stencil on your egg's shell, and using your paintbrush, paint over the designs with your white glue. Then roll the egg in a small plate of glitter, making sure to get all the the glue covered. Let your shiny shell dry.

Flower Crown

Make a pretty flowery crown from a paper plate and paper flowers. These are fun to make for Spring or Easter.

Supplies:

A paper plate
Colored construction paper or tissue paper
Paint, markers, or crayons
Scissors
Glue
Optional - glitter, crepe paper or other ribbons

Cut a slit through the center of the paper plate, leaving about an inch at the edges of the plate. Cut three more slits.
Bend the triangles formed by the cuts upwards, forming leaf-like shapes.
Paint the crown light green (or use markers or crayons to color it). Let the paint dry.

Cut out some construction paper or tissue paper flowers for your hat. Any shapes will do - let your imagination run wild and invent your own flowers. Glue flowers to the crown.

Optional: Decorate it with glitter and/or staple two long ribbons of crepe paper to your beautiful hat.

Variation: Instead of flowers, make paper eggs, decorate them, and put them on your hat.

Bunny and Chick Easter Craft for Kids

Your children will enjoy making these paper cup Easter treat holders
so much that they may want to make one for each guest at your table!

You'll Need:
yellow or white paper cups
construction paper, craft foam or felt; pink, white or orange
2 wiggle eyes per cup
white or pink pom-pom - for bunny
white or pink chenille stems - optional for bunny whiskers
craft feathers for chick
scissors, glue, stapler
Tip: glue dots are great for this craft

How to Make the Easter Chick
From the construction paper, cut an orange triangle for the beak
and a heart for the feet. Staple few feathers to the back, edge of the cup.
You'll want them sticking out from the top of the cup. Now glue the beak and the eyes to the front of the cup. Glue the base of the cup to the heart so that the edges stick out in front to create feet.

How to Make the Bunny Craft:
From paper, craft foam or felt, cut two white ovals, two smaller pink ovals and a heart from either color. Glue the pink onto the white and set them aside to dry.
Cut strips of paper for the whiskers or use a chenille stem.
Glue the whiskers on the cup and then the nose on top of the whiskers and then add the eyes.
Glue or staple the ears to the back edge of the cup - glue dots are great for this part!
Glue the base of the cup to the heart so that the edges stick
out in front to create feet.
Fill your new Easter friends with grass and fill with treats!

Peppermint Candy Spoons

34 Average sized peppermint candies
2 tbs of Corn syrup
25-30 Heavy plastic spoons

Unwrap and crush your chosen peppermint candies until they are broken up into small pieces. You can do this easily with a rolling pin.
Place the candy pieces and the corn syrup into a pan and over a low heat allow the candy to melt down and mix with the corn syrup.
Once the candy is melted take it off the heat and using a metal spoon, place a scoop of the new candy mix into the well of each spoon.
You can use a cookie tray that has been lined and place the spoon handles on the edge of the tray making them higher than the well end of the spoon so that the toffee won't spill out.
Place the spoon in a fridge and allow to set. Once the candy spoons have set wrap them up in cellophane.

Goof Balls

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (17.5 ounce) package crispy rice cereal
1 cup margarine
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
2 (10.5 ounce) packages large marshmallows

DIRECTIONS
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Pour the crispy rice cereal into a large bowl.
Combine the margarine, sweetened condensed milk, and caramels in the top of a double boiler. Stirring constantly, cook over lightly simmering water until melted and combined, about 5 minutes.
Use a wooden skewer to dip each marshmallow in the hot caramel mixture. Immediately roll caramel coated marshmallow in the crispy rice cereal. Remove from skewer and place on the waxed paper to harden.

Easter Party Ideas

Let your kids celebrate spring by helping them throw their own garden party, complete with an Easter Egg hunt.

Bring spring indoors with fresh or potted flowers.
Give your home a springtime makeover with light-colored fabrics.
Hide clues in hollow eggs for an Easter Egg treasure hunt.
Grow an Easter Egg Tree.
Decorate Easter cookies and cupcakes.
Create a Bunny Cake centerpiece.
Freeze flowers and fruit in an ice ring for your punch bowl.
Delight your guests with homemade chocolate eggs.
Hatch a brood of marshmallow chicks.
Be someone's Secret Easter Bunny.

Turn your house into a joyful flurry of activity with our hints on decorating and dyeing eggs with natural colorings, making your very own Chubby Bunny Easter basket, and coloring egg stands: perfect for decorations, place cards or just playing!

Throw the Perfect Easter Party
Let your kids celebrate spring by helping them throw their own garden party, complete with an Easter Egg hunt. Set up a table or two in the back yard or your local park, enjoy the sunshine and spring breeze, and take part in some of these fun Easter activities:
Beautiful Baskets. Before the egg hunt can begin, all the little bunnies will need a container to collect their treasures. You can supply the materials for them to make their own custom-designed Easter baskets.
Start collecting plastic pint-sized strawberry baskets now; these are the perfect size.
You'll also need inexpensive colored ribbon or construction paper cut into strips, and a selection of pipe cleaners.
Let the kids weave the ribbon and construction paper through the holes in the strawberry baskets, and then twist the ends of a pipe cleaner around opposite sides of the basket to form a handle.
Put a small amount of Easter grass in the bottom of each basket to cushion the eggs.

Hunt Hints. The Easter egg hunt is one of the most anticipated events of the season. The only disappointing part about this occasion is that it's over so quickly! It doesn't need to be: this year, let the kids in on the fun of hiding the eggs. Each child can take a turn hiding the eggs around the house or yard and let the rest of the children look for them.

Easter Party Tips

Bring spring indoors with fresh or potted flowers.
Give your home a springtime makeover with light-colored fabrics.
Hide clues in hollow eggs for an Easter Egg treasure hunt.
Grow an Easter Egg Tree.
Decorate Easter cookies and cupcakes.
Create a Bunny Cake centerpiece.
Freeze flowers and fruit in an ice ring for your punch bowl.
Delight your guests with homemade chocolate eggs.
Hatch a brood of marshmallow chicks.
Be someone's Secret Easter Bunny.

Hosting an Easter Egg Hunt

Instead of schlepping kids to a commercial Easter Egg Hunt, plan a small neighborhood party. These games and activities will keep your party hopping!

Easter Egg Hunt Tips
Tuck a small piece of paper with party details into hollow plastic eggs. Let kids hand-deliver them.
Sprinkle baby powder “paw prints” around the house. Invite kids to follow the Easter Bunny to where the hunt begins.
Before guests arrive, hide eggs in both easy and difficult places to keep kids challenged.
Check your weather forecast if you plan an outdoor hunt.
Award special prizes for eggs rolled in glitter or marked by special stickers.
Assign each child a color of egg to find, or limit the number of eggs each child can keep so no child gets left out.
Have colorful beach pails on hand for collecting eggs.

Party Games
Engage kids with all kinds of games: assemble kids into teams for an egg relay race. Eggs are carried on spoons or forks (more difficult) and first team to finish is the winner. Or have players on hands and knees, using only their noses to nudge eggs past the finish line.
Use old pillowcases for an old-fashioned "bunny hop" sack race.
Forget pinning the tail on the donkey! Tack up a drawing of Peter Rabbit. Pass out cotton balls with double-stick tape for tails.

More fun Easter activities
Enlist older children's help in face-painting. Use non-toxic colors found at your local craft or costume store to draw bunny noses and whiskers, flowers, and butterflies.
Let kids decorate their own "basket" desserts to bring home: spread icing on sugar cookies or cupcakes; sprinkle with green tinted coconut for grass, and top with jellybean "eggs."
Consider treats beside sweets. Art supplies, kid-sized gardening tools and seeds, or cool bath things (don't forget the rubber ducky) make fun surprises.

Easy Bunny Cake

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3 3/4 cups flaked coconut
1 (16 ounce) package vanilla frosting
30 small jellybeans
4 red licorice

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven and prepare two 9 inch round baking pans as directed on cake box. Prepare cake batter with as directed on package adding in 1/2 cup of coconut. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake and cool cake as directed on package.
When cooled, place one whole 9 inch cake layer on serving tray, forming the bunny's head. Cut 2 convex shaped ears from each side of the second layer, place on each side of head to form ears. Use concave shaped piece for the bowtie, place about 1/2 inch below head.
Frost entire bunny covering top and sides of bunny. Pat remaining 3 1/4 cup coconut evenly over top and sides. Decorate the bunny face and bowtie with jellybeans and use the licorice to make whiskers.

Easter Lamb Cake

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites

DIRECTIONS
First, prepare your mold. Coat with vegetable oil, let sit for a few minutes then wipe clean with a paper towel. Then grease and flour your mold, making sure to get all the little areas.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift the cake flour, then sift again with the baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Stir the batter until smooth after each addition. Add the vanilla.
In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then quickly fold in the remaining whites.
Fill the face side of the mold with batter. Move a wooden spoon through the batter GENTLY, to remove any air pockets. Make sure not to disturb the greased and floured surface of the mold. Put the lid on the mold, making sure it locks or ties together securely so that the steam and rising batter do not force the two sections apart.
Put the mold on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven for about 1 hour. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer or wooden toothpick through a steam vent. Put the cake, still in the mold, on a rack for about 15 minutes. CAREFULLY, remove the top of the mold. Before you separate the cake from the bottom let it cool for about 5 more minutes so that all the steam can escape and the cake can firm up some more. After removing the rest of the mold, let the cake cool on the rack completely. DO NOT sit the cake upright until completely cooled. Frost with Seven Minute Icing or any other white icing of your choice and decorate to look like a lamb.

Bunny Cookies

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 cup cinnamon red hot candies

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and shortening. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended. Mix in the orange juice and orange zest.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out rabbit shapes with a cookie cutter. Place rabbits onto an unprepared cookie sheet and place the cinnamon candies onto them for eyes. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Frost if desired.

Emily's Famous Marshmallows

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1/4 cups water, divided
4 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Dust a 9x9 inch square dish generously with confectioners' sugar.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together white sugar, corn syrup and 3/4 cup water. Heat to 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball.
While syrup is heating, place remaining water in a metal bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the surface. Place bowl over simmering water until gelatin has dissolved completely. Keep in a warm place until syrup has come to temperature. Remove syrup from heat and whisk gelatin mixture into hot syrup. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Continue to beat, pouring syrup mixture into egg whites in a thin stream, until the egg whites are very stiff. Stir in vanilla. Spread evenly in prepared pan and let rest 8 hours or overnight before cutting.

How to Make Marshmallow Chicks

Ingredients
1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1/4 cups water, divided
4 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. We used Emily's Famous Marshmallows recipe to make approximately 25 marshmallow chicks. The ingredients you will need are sugar, light corn syrup, eggs, unflavored gelatin, water, colored sugars, and vanilla extract. The cooking materials you will need are a large pastry bag, a whisk, an electric mixer, a candy thermometer, and waxed paper.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together sugar, corn syrup, and 3/4-cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil. While boiling, attach a candy thermometer to the pot so the tip is immersed in the liquid, but not touching the bottom of the pot. Watch the temperature carefully until it reaches the hard-ball stage--when the thermometer reads 250 to 260 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C).

3. While the sugar mixture is heating, place the remaining water in a metal bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Place the bowl over simmering water and stir until the gelatin is dissolved and the mixture becomes liquid. Keep this gelatin mixture warm until the sugar comes to the proper temperature. As soon as the sugar mixture reaches the hard-ball stage and you remove it from heat, carefully whisk in the gelatin mixture. Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to whip the egg whites into soft peaks. (You can tell eggs have reached the soft-peak stage when you take a spoon, dip it in and out of the egg mixture, and a peak is formed that is soft enough to quickly bend over.)

4. Once the peaks have formed, set the electric mixer to medium speed and slowly pour the sugar mixture into the bowl of whipped egg whites. When pouring the sugar mixture into the mixing bowl, never let the stream of liquid grow larger than a pencil's width. Once all of the sugar has been incorporated into the egg whites, add the vanilla extract and continue mixing at a medium speed until the mixture cannot become any fluffier. Add any additional colorings or flavorings at this time.
5. Line a flat surface with waxed paper and sprinkle it with a generous coating of sugar. Use a large pastry bag with at least a 1/2-inch opening or tip. Carefully spoon the sticky marshmallow fluff into the bag and twist the top closed. Pipe the body of the chick shape first by making a thick line on the paper. Hold the bag at a 45-degree angle to the surface so that the piping will stand tall.

6. When the body is long enough, pipe backwards on top of the body, and then make a little head.

7. Place little candies onto the marshmallow chick's head to make eyes (if you like) and sprinkle colored sugar over the chick's body. To coat the marshmallow chicks completely, let them set for 30 minutes before buttering your hands (for easier handling) and rolling them in bowls full of colored sugar.

8. Let the marshmallow chicks rest for approximately 4 hours to allow them time to fully set. Homemade marshmallow chicks look adorable in everyone's Easter egg basket and they make an attractive centerpiece for any festive table!

Easter Bunny Mask

What you'll need:
½ sheet craft foam
4”x 1” strip of craft foam in contrasting color
Glitter glue (pink and white) optional
Scissors
12” elastic
Stapler
Electrical tape
Pattern

How to make it:
Print the pattern and cut out. (See photo.)
Place pattern onto the craft foam. Leave enough room on the left side of the foam as you will fold the foam and cut it.
Trace the pattern onto the foam. (See photo.)
Fold the foam in half so that the left side of the pattern is in line with the fold.
Hold the foam firmly so that it does not move around and cut around the pattern. Unfold the craft foam and you should have a full face mask. (See photo.)
Cut the eyes out.
Using glitter glue is an optional step. If you are short on time, simply cut the inner ears and nose from a contrasting color of craft foam and glue in place. If using the glitter glue, draw the outline of the nose and fill it in. (See photo.) Repeat this process for the inner ears. (See photo.) Allow to dry. You can use a paintbrush to spread the glitter glue. If the glue is too thick, or if you want it to dry quicker, use your finger to carefully scoop up some of the glitter glue and wipe on a paper towel. Smooth the remaining glitter glue with your finger or paintbrush. (See photo.)
Cut whiskers from the 4”x1” strip of craft foam. Glue three whiskers on each cheek. (See photo.)
Staple the elastic to the mask, stapling to the back side. (See photo.)
Trim any excess and cover the sharp edges of the staples with black electrical tape. (See photos 1, 2)

Tips:
Glitter glue can be found at discount department stores, or in a larger and more colorful collection at craft supply stores.
Craft foam is sold in large sheets or in value packs containing several colors.
Pink is great for girls, blue for boys, and green or yellow for anyone!

Fancy Boot Christmas Stocking

This boot was made for stuffing, and that's just what Santa will do this Christmas Eve.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Scissors
2 pieces of purple felt, each 24 by 15 inches
2 pieces of black faux fur, each 24 by 15 inches
Long sewing pins
Large-eye sewing needle
Purple embroidery floss
Costume jewelry buttons and chains (sold at many fabric stores)
Clear tape
9 inches of black twist cord

Time needed: About 2 to 3 Hours
1. The Basic Stocking: Click here to download the fancy boot stocking pattern.


2. Cut 1 boot shape from each piece of the purple felt and 1 from each piece of the black fur. Be sure to cut the fur boots so the toes point in opposite directions with the fur sides up.

3. Pin together the boots with the fur boots on the inside, furry sides in, and the purple boots on the outside.

4. Using the floss, whipstitch around the edges, sewing the boots together. Leave the top edges unsewn.

5. At the top, sew together the front 2 edges, then the back 2.

6. Fold down the top to make a cuff.

7. The Trimmings: Use floss to sew the buttons and chains to the boot.

8. Tape the ends of the cord to keep them from fraying, then sew the cord to the stocking for hanging.

Tips:
A Stitch for All Stockings
Thread your needle with a length of floss and knot one end. Begin sewing by pushing the needle up through the underside of the fabric and then out the top. Loop the needle back under the fabric and repeat the stitch.

Barbie Doll Cake

INGREDIENTS
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
2 (16 ounce) packages vanilla frosting
1 drop red food coloring

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart ovenproof Pyrex glass mixing bowl with shortening and dust with flour.

Prepare cake as directed on box. Pour batter into prepared bowl.

Bake 50-60 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.
Invert on cake plate with widest part of cake on the bottom. Cool 3 hours before decorating.

Insert a clean doll into center of cake. Decorate the skirt with icing tinted any color or use more than one color. Use a decorator tip to make the skirt as fancy as you like and decorate the top of the doll for the top of the dress also.

Soccer Ball Cake

INGREDIENTS
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (16 ounce) container vanilla frosting
12 black licorice whips
3/4 cup white sugar

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 2 1/2 to 3 quart ovenproof bowl. Place sugar in a bowl and stir in black food color until desired color is achieved. Set aside.
Pour prepared cake batter into the prepared bowl and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cake cool for 15 minutes in the bowl then invert and let cake cool completely.

Once cake is completely cool trim flat side of cake and place on a cake board. Trim edges into a ball shape. Frost with the white frosting. Next using a toothpick draw a pentagon in the center top of the cake. Surround the pentagon with five hexagons. Repeating to cover entire cake.

Cover lines with black licorice cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Fill the pentagon shapes with black colored white sugar.

Bacon Cheeseburger Cake

INGREDIENTS
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (13 ounce) package brownie mix
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans vanilla frosting
yellow food coloring
red food coloring
3 vanilla wafer cookies
1 large roll of red fruit leather
4 caramels, with stripes
8 yellow chewy fruit-flavored candy squares
1 (16 ounce) container chocolate frosting
1 large roll of green fruit leather
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven according to instructions on cake mix box; prepare mix. Grease and flour a 9 inch pan, and a shallow metal bowl at least 9 inches in diameter. Fill the 9 inch cake pan 2/3 full with cake batter; pour the remaining batter into the prepared metal bowl (this will be the top of your "bun"). Bake according to directions, remove from pans, and cool on a wire rack.

Grease and flour a 9 inch pan. Prepare brownie batter, and bake according to instructions on box. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack. Shave off the sharp edges of the brownie, making it resemble a hamburger patty.

Place 1/4 cups of vanilla frosting in a heavy duty plastic sandwich bag, and color with yellow food coloring to make your mustard. Repeat a second time using the red food coloring to make your ketchup. Place remaining frosting in a bowl, and color with a mix of red and yellow food coloring until you arrive at the color of a hamburger bun.

Cut the cookies in half and wrap with pieces of red fruit leather to create your tomatoes. Unwrap the caramels, and heat in microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to slightly soften. Roll the caramels individually between sheets of waxed paper to create bacon strips. Microwave the chewy fruit-flavored candy squares, place together, and roll between sheets of waxed paper to create your cheese slice; trim into a square shape.

To assemble, place bottom bun on your serving dish, and spread with some of the hamburger bun frosting. Place brownie on top of this, and spread it with chocolate frosting. Decorate edges with the tomatoes, bacon, cheese, mustard, and ketchup; use the green fruit leather as lettuce. Place top bun over this and spread with the remaining hamburger bun frosting; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serves 20

Ice Cream Baked Potatoes

INGREDIENTS
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 (1 ounce) envelope instant cocoa
4 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream

DIRECTIONS
Scoop out 4 balls of ice cream roughly the size and shape of small potatoes. Roll in the hot cocoa mix until coated. Place on a plate and top with a dollop of whipped cream. The ice cream will look like baked potatoes with sour cream on top. Eat and enjoy.

Spaghetti Cake

What you'll need:
Vanilla frosting
Yellow food coloring
Piping bag with a round tip, approximately 1/8 inch in diameter
Sliced pound cake
Strawberry sauce
Malt balls
Grated white chocolate

Tint the frosting pale yellow--the color of cooked spaghetti--and spoon it into the piping bag.
Lay a slice of pound cake on each plate. Pipe the frosting onto each piece of cake, using big looping motions to create the appearance of spaghetti piled on the plate.
Top with strawberry topping for "spaghetti sauce."
Make malt balls look like meatballs by roughing up the outsides with a butter knife or fine cheese grater.
Add a sprinkle of grated white chocolate for the parmesan cheese.

Fish Stick Surprise

Candy bars coated in toasted coconut look like just like fish sticks, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with caramel sauce can look suspiciously like mashed potatoes and gravy--or try the recipe for Ice Cream Baked Potatoes .

What you'll need:
Cylindrical candy bars (like Mounds™, Twix™, Baby Ruth™, or Kit Kat™)
Toasted coconut
Vanilla ice cream
Caramel sauce
Gummy candies in the shapes of vegetables--peas, carrots, corn--available in bulk at most candy stores.

Place the candy bars on a microwave-safe plate and zap them on high power for about five seconds--just long enough to soften the chocolate without completely melting it.
Sprinkle the toasted coconut on a sheet of waxed paper and roll each candy bar in it until completely coated.
Arrange two or three "fish sticks" on each plate alongside a small handful of gummy veggies.
Just before serving, use a round scoop to adorn each plate with a serving of vanilla ice cream "potatoes" and top with a drizzle of caramel "gravy."

The Meatloaf Cake

Everyone will look at you wide-eyed when you serve dessert first. But, surprise! It only looks like dessert...

The Meatloaf Cake

What you'll need:
Two round cake pans
Your favorite meatloaf recipe
Mashed potatoes
Ketchup
Cherry tomatoes

Prepare your favorite meatloaf recipe as you normally would, but, before baking, divide the mixture into the two round cake pans and pat it flat.
Bake as usual, but shorten the cooking time (these thinner meatloaves won't take nearly as long to cook).
While the meatloaf is in the oven, make a batch of mashed potatoes, adding a little extra milk to them and whipping them with an electric beater until they are fluffy and spreadable.
When the meatloaves are done, invert one of them onto a round plate.
Cover the meat with a thick, even layer of mashed potatoes.
Place the other meatloaf on top of the potato layer, and finish frosting the "cake" with the remaining potatoes.
Garnish with halved cherry tomatoes to look like cherries.
Just before serving, decorate the top of your cake with ketchup. Write a personalized message, or just a simple "Happy April Fool's Day!"