Fun Birthday Countdown Printables {It’s FREE!}

Birthdays can be a big deal, especially with kids. Why not countdown to your family member’s next birthday? These printable are FREE and super cute.

Here’s just one design…

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Just click here and choose a design that you can print at home or at a local store, like Walmart or Target. Then put the printable in a frame and use a dry erase marker to change the number from day to day!

Thanks to Life Sweet Life for creating such cute printables!

What We Love Right Now April 4, 2012: Cute Easter Cupcakes

Baking for holidays doesn’t have to be an elaborate ordeal! We made these cute cupcakes for Easter and they required very little effort! Great addition to your Easter brunch or dinner dessert table or an Easter play date!

All you need to make these cupcakes are:

Boxed Cake Mix (any flavor)

White Icing (we like the premade in a jar!)

Red, Blue, and Green Food Coloring

Easter Candy of Your Choice (We chose coated chocolate eggs)

Fix it Fast:

1. Bake cake mix according to package.

2. In three separate bowls, mix icing with small amounts of food coloring. The less you use, the more pastel the coloring will be.

3. Put icing in a Ziploc bag, snip corner, and use decorating tip to ice cupcakes.

4. Place candies on top and enjoy!

Vistaprint Only Gets Better! New Nickelodeon Merchandise Added

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I’ve always been a HUGE fan of Vistaprint! They offer so many products and at a stellar price. Anytime I can’t find a design I like with other companies I can always find something I like with Vistaprint. I especially love their invitations and announcements. Recently added to their designs are Nickelodeon prints featuring Dora, Diego, Sponge Bob, and more!

Click here to begin creating your Vistaprint invitation!

Kid Party Ideas: Construction Dump Truck Themed Birthday Party

My toddler loves cars and trucks, so when I started planning his second birthday party I knew a vehicle themed party was a no-brainer! He especially loves his Chuck dump truck and all of Chuck’s Pals so I decided on a construction themed party. Here’s what we created with the help of great online party supplies like Birthday Express, Birthday in a Box and Kid’s Parties by Lori {highly recommend all three!}

It was all very simple. We had a small gathering, but still wanted to have some cute decor and fun with food.

Peppermints: Rocks

Pudding Cups with Gummie Worms: Dirt Cups

Donuts: Spare Tires

Cupcakes: Boulders (cupcake picks from Lori’s Parties)

Brownies: Cinder Blocks

Catered Sandwiches and other sides: Work Site Grub

The cake came from a local grocery store bakery. It was delish! I am not a baker, but wanted a mud look, so chocolate icing with chocolate sprinkles did the trick! All candles were purchased from Birthday in a Box.

The mantle was decorated with a DIY scrapbook paper pennant and some favorite Chuck trucks.

We like sweets so that was a major part of the snacks. You could be creative and go any direction with pebbles, rocks, and other things you might find on a construction site. All the dump trucks and construction cars were ones we already had, so be sure to utilize what you’ve got for decorations. Also, you can’t really see it in the picture, but the black plastic table cover had silver tape down the center giving it a “road” look. The kids loved it!

**All paper products were purchased from Birthday Express.

What We Love Right Now December 14, 2011: Easy to Make Holiday Treats

Christmastime is a great time to roll up your sleeves and bake. If you’ve baking up a storm maybe you’re looking for an easy treat to make or, if you’re not really into baking, you might be looking for a cookie recipe that requires just a couple of ingredients and just a little time. Our two holiday cookie ideas are perfect for either category you may fall in!

Christmas Cookie Sammies

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We found this cookie idea on another blog and thought it was a great, simple idea to share! All you need are the Pillsbury slice and bake cookies, some yummy icing (homemade or store bought), and some fun, festive sprinkles! These require little effort and they’ll be yummy and, not to mention, cute on a nice little platter. For the full recipe click here.

Christmas Tree Brownies

Another simple creation, these treats take just a few minutes to bake and decorate and it’s the perfect way to involve you little bakers as well. You’ll need one box of brownie mix, candy cane sticks, green gel icing, and peppermint M & M’s.

1. Bake the brownies according to the box.

2. After brownies have cooled, cut into triangle, tree shape with a steak knife.

3. Insert candy cane stick at bottom of brownies for the tree stem.

4. Apply icing and place M & M’s on brownie.

What We Love Right Now November 16, 2011: No Bake Pilgrim Hat Cookies

Our no bake streak continues with these super cute, simple pilgrim hat cookies! They’re sure to be the big hit at your weekly play group or as the centerpiece and dessert at the Thanksgiving kid’s table!

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All you need to make these cute creations are fudge stripe cookies, mini Reese’s cups, and yellow icing. The picture shown uses orange Chiclets at the hat buckle, but we think substituting with orange M&M’s or Reese’s Pieces would be just as adorable!

Spooky Eyeballs: The Yummiest Halloween Treat

With Halloween just a few days away, we’ve got the perfect little treat for your ghosts and goblins. These donuts are SO simple to create and will make a great addition to your Halloween gathering! The directions are pretty easy (this is another no-bake creation!). Just grab a pack of powdered donuts, red icing, and green m&m’s and in a few minutes you’ll have a platter full of the spookiest eyeballs you’ve ever seen!

Do you have a great no-bake Halloween creation? Share it and link up with us in the comments below!

No-Bake Chocolate Acorns

Here at SharpMoms we’re all about making things as simple as possible. Whether you work or stay at home, have one child or four, everything you do should be as easy as it can be. These no-bake chocolate and peanut butter acorns are the perfect little fall treat and are so simple to make. Not to mention all the ingredients are the perfect size for the little helpers your kitchen!

What You’ll Need:

1 bag of semi sweet mini chocolate chips

1-2 bags of Hershey Kisses

1-2 bags of Nutter Butters (you’ll need the bite-sized)

Fix it Fast:

1. Melt 1/2 bag of mini chocolate chips in microwave {5 second intervals, stirring very well each time}
2. Dip the flat end of the Hershey Kiss into melted chocolate, or spread chocolate on flat side of Kiss with a butter knife, and top with a bite-size Nutter Butter.
3. Dip the flat end of the mini chocolate chip into the melted chocolate and stick it to the top of the Nutter Butter bite.

These acorns are the perfect treat for your next fall party at home, school, or play date. If you have a child with a peanut allergy, you can always substitute your Nutter Butters with bite-sized Ritz Bitz of Vanilla Wafers.

Chocolate Chip Dip

This yummy dip recipe is just what every kid ( and every kid at heart) is sure to love. Serve it up with graham cracker sticks, apple slices, or mini pretzels if you’re in the mood for a little something salty and sweet.

Chocolate Chip Dip Recipe

What You Need:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Graham cracker sticks
Fix it Fast:

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Serve with graham cracker sticks.

Recipe and image from Taste of Home

Party Nachos

If you’re planning a get together anytime soon, these nachos are a must! They are so easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Party Nachos

What You’ll Need:

1 carton (18 ounces) refrigerated fully cooked barbecued shredded pork
1 package (12-1/2 ounces) nacho tortilla chips
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives, optional

Fix it Fast:

1. Heat pork according to package directions. Place tortilla chips on a large microwave-safe serving plate. Layer with pork and cheese.
2. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream, salsa, lettuce and onions. Sprinkle with olives, if desired. Makes about 12 servings.

Our Best Mocktail Recipes

We love mocktails! They are fun looking – just like cocktails. And, one major plus, they don’t give you a sick feeling in the morning – unlike cocktails! Mocktails aren’t just for adults either, they can be a lot of fun for children too. Especially for tweens and teens. What a great teen party addition! Here are a couple of our favorite mocktail recipes!

Virgin Pina Colada

What You’ll Need:

1 cup ice
1 1/4 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons white sugar

Fix it Fast:

1. In an electric blender, blend ice, pineapple juice, milk, cream, and sugar and blend until smooth.

Tornado Twist

What You’ll Need:

12 fluid ounces cranberry-raspberry juice
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

Fix it Fast:
1. In a pitcher, mix cranberry-raspberry juice with lemon-lime soda. Pour over ice and serve.

Tickle Me Pink

What You’ll Need:

1/4 cup sparkling cider
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
whipped cream

Fix it Fast:

1. Mix sparkling cider with pineapple and cranberry juice. Top with whipped cream.

Passion Punch

What You’ll Need:

3/4 cup club soda or ginger ale
1 Tablespoon cranberry juice
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup passion fruit syrup

Fix it Fast:

1. Add fruit juices and passion fruit syrup to glass and stir until mixed. Top with club soda. Stir briskly.

2. Add a cherry on top for fun!

What We Love Right Now June 15, 2011: Summer Party Ideas for Kids

Throwing a summer birthday party? Or maybe you’re having a party just for fun? We’ve got several ideas for great party themes to help you have fun in the sun this summer with your kids and their friends!

1. A Tie-Dye T-Shirt Party, Best For Tweens and Teens

The summertime is perfect t-shirt and flip flop wearing season. What better party theme for this time of year than tie-dye decorating? The shirts themselves are bright and cheery, just like the summer sun, and sure to be loads of fun for the party goers to make. We love these tie-dye invitations from Tiny Prints. They aren’t too bold, but still have some great pops of color.

For partyware Birthday in a Box has some great Tie Dye party supplies. We like these plates because you can get the dinner plates or cake plates and then mix and match with solid colored cups, napkins, and cutlery. And don’t forget balloons!

The tie dye shirts will make great party favors. Not sure how to tie dye? It’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Here are some great instructions we found at About.com.

2. Bubble Party, Best For Toddler and School Age Children

What small child doesn’t love bubbles? This party theme is perfect for a backyard bash. You can do a couple of stations: One table with small bottles of individual bottles of bubbles and another with large pans and wands with homemade bubble mix (not sure how to make a mix? It’s easy! Just use 1/2 cup dishwashing soap, like Dawn, 2 cups water, and 2 teaspoons of sugar).  You can also set up another table with bubble wrap cut up in small squares and paint and paper so the kids can paint with the bubble wrap.

If you have a covered porch or set up a tent or canopy we think decorating with paper lanterns and streamers would be such a cute idea. Paper lanterns would almost look like bubbles of all different colors and you could even use different sizes as well. Try your local party stores or, if you want to buy online, search PartyLights.com or JustArtifacts.com.

For food, serve up round items like Nilla Wafers, round fruits and veggie slices, and cookies. You can even serve Jell-O jigglers cut into circles-they are yummy, easy to make and colorful!

Party favors can be simple and cheap. We’ve seen these cute bubble wands at local stores everywhere and they are usually marked at $2.00/ea. or less. Such a cheap favor and each child would be sure to love it!

3. Pirate Party, Best for Toddler-School Age Children

Arrrrrrr, Matey! Sail the Seven Seas with your child and their friends with this super fun summer party theme! We found everything we needed for this theme at Birthday in a Box! Their pirate party selection couldn’t be beat.

For invitations…

Send a message in a bottle! How cute, unique, and, well, pirateish! Buy these HERE.

Games…

Don’t reinvent the wheel! Here’s another SharpMom favorite from Birthday in a Box. Pin the Eye Patch on the Pirate!

Looking for more game ideas? Try walking the plank with a small piece of wood, like a 2×4, or put on a “treasure hunt” AKA scavenger hunt for older kids.You can also play a game of “pass the skull” (aka hot potato). Just make your skill out of oval Styrofoam or wrap an old Mr. Potato Head .

Partyware…

All favorites from Birthday in a Box!

Favors…

Try gold coins, eye patches, and treasure maps! All can be found online or at your local party stores.

Crafts…

1. Decorate Your Own Pirate Flag: All you need are crayons, paper, and great imagination!

2. Decorate a “Booty Bag” for all their pirate loot!

4. Flip Flop Fun, Best for School Age, Tween Girls

Birthday in a Box has another super girly party patter that’s perfect for a summer pool party! Theme your whole party around flip flops. Ask your guests to where their best swimsuit and favorite flops. Better yet, you could even ask them to decorate a pair of flops before hand and give a prize a the party to the best pair! For partyware, we found these great napkins that will go well with bright pink and orange plates and cups. We also love these super fun straws, sold in packs of 4. They girls will love sipping lemonade and tea from their fun flip flop straws!

If you don’t have your own personal pool, try booking a local pool or perhaps even the pool at your local YMCA. For food serve up finger foods like veggie and fruit trays and chips with dips. We like keeping decorations simple for this theme. Just doing bunches of colorful balloons will add a nice touch to coordinate with the flip flop napkin. We also found a couple of invitations we really liked.

To purchase this invitation, click here.

To purchase this invitation, click here.

5. Backyard Beach Party, Best for Ages Toddler to School Age Children

There is a lot you can do with this theme! For fun run some water sprinklers, open the sandbox and bring out the buckets and shovels, or for little ones use water tables for play too. Older children will enjoy games like crabwalk relay races, beach ball and water balloon tosses. Little ones will like baby pools filled with mini beach balls made into a ball pits or baby pools filled with water!

If you host this party in the  late afternoon/evening, invite parents and turn it into a BBQ. You could serve hotdogs, hamburgers, and chips. Don’t forget the cake! Maybe in the shape of a beach ball or fish? If you’re not feeling creative you can always preorder a cake with a beach scene from your favorite bakery!

We found these great invitations on Esty.com. Why do we love these? You can print them at home!

For party favors try a sand bucket and shovel filled with a few treats like sunglasses, leis, a small beach ball and candy.You can even personalize the buckets with by writing guest’s names on them with paint pens!

Do you have a great summer party theme? Leave us a comment and link up with us!

Creating a Marvelous Memorial Day Menu

1. In ungreased 3-quart microwavable bowl, mix frozen potatoes and water; spread evenly in bowl. Cover tightly with microwavable plastic wrap. Microwave on High 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are hot and tender, stirring once halfway through cooking.
2. Add vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to hot potatoes; mix well. Spread evenly in bowl. Cover, refrigerate at least 5 hours or until completely cold.
3. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, place eggs in single layer. Add enough water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat to boiling. Immediately remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Place eggs in bowl of ice water; let stand 10 minutes. Drain. Peel eggs. Reserve 1 egg for garnish; chop remaining 4 eggs.
4. Stir mayonnaise into cold potato mixture. Add celery, onion and chopped eggs; toss gently to mix. Spoon mixture into large serving bowl. Slice reserved hard-cooked egg; arrange on top of salad. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Serves 16

Raspberry Sweet Tea

For your nonalcoholic drinkers this is a yummy, refreshing tea to serve up with your Memorial Day menu.

What You’ll Need:

4 quarts water

Sugar substitute equivalent to 1 cup sugar

10 individual tea bags

1 package (12 ounces) frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed and undrained

3 tablespoons lime juice

Fix it Fast:

1.In a large saucepan, bring 2 qts. of water to a boil. Stir in sugar substitute until dissolved. Remove from the heat.

2. Add tea bags; steep for 5-8 minutes. Discard tea bags.

3. In another saucepan, bring raspberries and remaining water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Strain and discard pulp. Add raspberry juice and lime juice to the tea.

4. Transfer tea to pitcher and refrigerate until chilled. Serves 15

Super Duper Strawberry Shortcake

Top off your meal with this delicious shortcake!

What You’ll Need:

1 quart fresh strawberries (or more if you like)
1/2 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1 (14 ounce) angel food cake, cut into cubes (make it easy and buy the cake already made!)

Fix it Fast:

1. Wash, stem, and cut strawberries in half.
2. Add sugar; toss and mix well.
3. Chill.
4. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar well.
5. Fold in whipped topping and cake cubes.
6. Spread cake into an ungreased 13×9 dish.
7. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
8. Cut cake into squares and top with strawberries (add blueberries and whip cream too!).

Serves 12

Do you have a great recipe you’re cooking up for the long weekend? We’d love to hear about it. Leave us a comment!

Easy Easter Breakfast Casserole

If you’re hosting Easter brunch this year you might be feeling the stress already. Wouldn’t it be so nice to wake up Easter Sunday to a clean house, a dining table set, and a meal ready for your guests? Your Easter Morning may not happen quite like that, but we’ve got a breakfast casserole that is so simple you’ll have a wonderful Easter feast ready in no time!

Easy Easter Breakfast Casserole

Thinking of hosting a brunch this year? We love the idea of Sunday brunch and think it is a great way to spend Easter with your family and friends. This breakfast casserole is SO simple (and yummy!).

What you’ll need:

8 slices of bread cubed

1/2 cup of butter, melted

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

5 eggs

1/2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups diced ham OR cooked sausage

4 oz. mushrooms

Fix it fast:

1. Grease a 9×13 pan.

2. Mix bread and butter together. Add cheese, ham/sausage, and mushrooms to mix.

3.  Place mixture in baking dish.

4. Beat eggs. Add milk and seasoning to eggs. Pour egg mixture over the bread mix in your baking dish.

5. Cover with foil and refrigerate over night.

6. Bake for one hour at 325.

7. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Egg-cellent Egg Decorating with Chalkboard Paint

Home Made Simple has some great egg decorating ideas that are unique and different. We loved one in particular. All you need are some hard boiled eggs, chalkboard paint, and your favorite colored chalk. Paint the eggs and let your kids do the rest! They’ll have fun decorating and then redecorating their eggs over and over again! The eggs will make the perfect little centerpiece  for your Easter brunch table created by your very own Picaso’s!

photo courtesy of Home Made Simple

What We Love Right Now March 2, 2011: St. Patrick’s Day Simple

Keep it Irish easy this St. Patrick’s Day with these simple green crafting and cooking ideas.

Super Simple Shepards Pie

Prep Time: 10 min

Ready in: 30 min.

What you need:
1 lb. ground beef
8 med. green onions (about 1 cup)
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 can mexi-corn mix, drained
1 can (4 oz.) green chillies, undrained
1 package of instant mashed potatoes
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup corn chips

Fix it fast:
1. Cook ground beef and onions in a 10 in. skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until beef is brown. Drain well.
2. Next, stir in barbeque sauce, 3/4 cup of corn, and chilies. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to stay warm.
3. Cook potatoes according to package (you’ll need milk, butter, and water) and stir in remaining onion and corn. Let stand at least 5 min.
4. Spoon potatoes onto center of beef mixture, leaving 2 1/2- to 3-inch rim around edge of skillet; sprinkle cheese over potatoes and beef mixture. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle corn chips around edge of skillet.

Easy No Bake Cookies

Get your kids in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit with these super fast no-bake treats. Just pick up a package of soft-baked sugar cookies and press out shamrocks with a  cookie cutter. Add a bit of color by adding green sprinkles onto the cookies, and you’re done! As another options, you can also grab some premade sugar cookie mix, roll out the dough, bake and ice together!

Cereal Rainbow

For this super easy craft all you need is a box of Fruit Loops, glue and construction. Then, let your child get to work on the colors of the rainbow by making a rainbow with the colored loops!

Throw a Party

Feelin’ lucky? Then throw a super fun party for this holiday. For decorations make some four leaf clovers. All you need a green construction paper, glue, and glitter (or another add ons you’d like). Cut the construction paper into into four small hearts and a stem and arrange into a clover shape. Then add on your glitter, etc.

For decor think about using different shades of green balloons and maybe some gold or yellow too. Hang some rainbow streamer and use fun green or gold paper products to serve up your treats.

As a party craft for the kids, make rainbow mobiles. All you’ll need are wire hangers, multi-colored construction paper, markers or crayons, glue, and yarn. Make the rainbow as your “anchor” then hang different charms from your rainbow with the yarn (think Lucky Charms marshmellow shapes).

Serve up the greens: For food options think greens and yellows-celery, cucumbers, and green pepper served with dip. For a sweet treat whip up some cupcakes (according to package) and just add a few drops of green food coloring for a fun baked treat. Add green food coloring to white icing to top the cupcakes or use white icing topped with green or rainbow sprinkles.

What We Love Right Now February 9, 2011: Ladies Night=Game Night

Every Mom, working or not, needs a little break from the daily routine. SharpMoms thinks spending some time with girlfriends is a great way to unwind. Rather than meeting for the traditional dinner or drinks date with friends, try planning a monthly game night with your gal pals. This idea is fun, cheap, and a great way to spend time gossiping and catching up with your best girls. Not sure where to start? Here are some tips…

Game night should be stress-free and, more importantly, kid-free! Plan a simple menu of appetizers and drinks. If you are playing hostess you can ask each friend to bring an appetizer or a drink of choice- this makes the party planning even easier for you! Plan on getting a sitter for your kids and your friend’s kids as well. Maybe there is an older teenager in the group that can watch the younger children, or, better yet, coral the husbands into watching the kids!

Need some game ideas? Here are a few options:

1. Bunco is always a great game choice. It’s mindless, easy to play, and fun.
2. Relive your childhood with a night of Twister. Everyone will get a good laugh!
3. Find your inner “man” and play a few rounds of poker.
4. Who’s the best liar in the group? A good game of Bull Shit should help you figure it out! The object of the game is to discard all the cards from your hand.
5. Stay traditional and play a round of Monopoly or LIFE.
6. Apples to Apples is a great, fun game. It works best if you know at least a little about all the players. The object of the game is to guess which one player will choose from a list of options.

Make this New Year’s Eve one to Remember!

Hosting a party? We’re all about making your planning a little easier. Here are some SharpMom tips for party success!

1. If you’re hosting a dinner party, make your life easier by cooking one pot meals (see soup recipe below) or an easy casserole. You might want to try our Ham and Bean Bake. Doing an easy main dish will not only save you time, but save your sanity as well!

2. Let your guests make their own drinks and a do it yourself cocktail bar. If you don’t have a bar area already, set up a small card table with a nice tablecloth-Voila! Instant bar! Set out some champagne cocktail and bloody mary supplies. Don’t forget a fun party tub full of your favorite brews as well as a few bottles of Merlot for those non-champagne drinkers.

3. Don’t get rid of all your wreaths and garland just yet! Use that holiday decor for wishing posts. Fill a hurricaine candle holder with slips of white paper and pens and let your guests fill in their wishes for the coming year. Clip them to the wreaths for all the party guests to read throughout the evening!

4. Don’t forget the finger foods! What is a New Year’s Eve party without a table full of appetizers? Order up some sushi from your favorite sushi bar in town and don’t forget the cheese and veggie trays! For more appetizer ideas click here.

ONE POT RECIPE: Black-Eyed Pea Soup

This is a one pot meal that is sure to please the party goers (or your family, if you are spending a low-key New Year’s at home)!

What you need:

Fix it fast:

What We Love Right Now December 15, 2010: Simple Snowmen Donuts

Snowmen Donuts

As a mom I am always looking for “easy” projects to do with the kids. I am not much of  a baker, but I recently found a picture of these cute snowmen donuts and thought they were too easy not to share! All kids, and most adults, love donuts and you can add your favorite candies or use the ones we suggest to decorate your snowman’s face.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Face: Small Powdered Donuts

Nose: Candy Corn or Orange Gum Drops

Eyes: Regular Sized Chocolate Chips or Black Icing

Mouth: Mini Chocolate Chips or Black Icing

Too keep all the pieces of candy in place use white frosting or icing. It just doesn’t get any simpler! These are great to munch on at home or to take to a holiday party or even your child’s class party at school. Do you have a great holiday treat that is easy and festive? We’d love for you to share your ideas with us!

What We Love Right Now November 17, 2010: Stress Less: Tips for a Terrific Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays of the year, but it seems it is a lot of work and preparation and in the blink of an eye the food is eaten and guests are on their way out the door and you are left with a mess to clean up and lots of leftovers. This day, whether you host a big gathering or spend a quiet day at home with your immediate family, should be a peaceful, enjoyable time with as little stress as possible. We’re all about making things easier for moms, so What We Love Right Now: Tips for a Terrific (and hopefully less stressful!) Thanksgiving.

If you’re cooking for a large gathering we suggest a Potluck Thanksgiving. You can cook the bird and guests can provide the sides. This will be a TON of less work for you as the hostess. Now, if this is your first time cooking a turkey you may have some questions and hopefully we have some answers!

How long does it take a turkey to thaw?

In order to cook properly you turkey needs to be completely thawed.

8-12 lbs – 2-3 days

13-16 lbs – 3-4 days

17-20 lbs – 4-5 days

21-25 lbs – 5-6 days

How long should the turkey cook?

First, preheat your oven to 450°F. Rinse turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Prepare stuffing, if desired. Stuff body and neck cavities loosely with stuffing, if desired. Tie legs together with cotton string or tuck through skin flap, if provided. Tuck wings under turkey. Place turkey on meat rack in shallow roasting pan.  Insert ovenproof meat thermometer in thickest part of thigh not touching bone. You may want to brush your turkey with a little melted butter. Place turkey in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Roast 18 to 20 minutes per pound for unstuffed turkey or 22 to 24 minutes per pound for stuffed turkey (you can brush with butter after 1 hour and then after 1-1/2 hours, if desired). Baste with pan juices every hour of roasting. (Total roasting time should be 4 to 5 hours.) If you notice the turkey is overbrowning, tent with foil. Cook until internal temperature reaches 180°F when tested with meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh, not touching bone.

Yummy Side Dishes

You may be the guest attending the Potluck or need a few sides to complete your small family gathering. What should you cook? You may have a great family recipe up your sleeve, but if you don’t here are two yummy side dishes sure to please everyone at the table.

Tasty Twice Baked Potato Casserole

What You’ll Need:

• 10 large russet baking potatoes (about 7 pounds total)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
• 1/2 pound sharp white cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 pound mild Cheddar, grated (3 cups)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Fix it Fast:

1. Scrub the potatoes well and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels and prick the potatoes in several places with a fork. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

2. When the potatoes have cooled, cut each potato in half and, using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop the flesh out of the skins, leaving as little flesh as possible.

3. Place the potato flesh in a large bowl and add 1 stick of the butter, the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and mash until chunky-smooth.

4. Add the bacon, cubed white Cheddar, half of the grated Cheddar, the green onions, and eggs and mix thoroughly.

5. Butter a 9 by 13-inch casserole with the remaining tablespoon of butter and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

6. Place the seasoned potato mixture in the prepared casserole and top with the remaining grated Cheddar.

7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and heated through and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. Serve hot.

Sauteed Green Beans and Mushrooms

Instead of Green Bean Casserole, try this yummy green bean variation.

What You’ll Need:

• Green Beans
• Mushrooms
• Salt and Pepper
• Gralic and/or onion, optional
• French Onion Crisps
• Butter

Fix it Fast:

1. Blanche green beans in boiling water until cooked.

2. Meanwhile, in a saute mushrooms (and garlic and onions, optional) in butter over medium-high heat, until golden.

3. Add mushroom mix with drained green beans. Toss with salt and pepper.

4. Place mixture in serving bowl and top with onion crisps.

How long can you keep turkey?

After you’ve all been stuffed with yummy food, you’ll probably have some left overs to deal with. You’ll want to pack up any leftovers within two hours of serving. Leftovers should only be kept in the fridge for 2 days, so anything you have mass quantities of should be frozen for safe keeping. Always defrost your frozen leftovers in the refrigerator.

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