Pre- Thanksgiving Post

There is always, always, always something to be thankful for...

Check out the guest post I did at Mom It Forward:

Nature Inspired Turkey / Thanksgiving Card

And look at these for Thanksgiving:

Plymouth Rock Cookies

After Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving Sandwich

Happy Thanksgiving!

<3  Lishie

St. Patrick's Day Fare

Need some St. Patrick's Day inspiration?! Well click on one of these, YUM:

Brisket with Cabbage, Potatoes & Carrots

Irish Soda Bread

Strip House Potatoes

Roasted New Potatoes

 

Cottage Pie

Easy Craft: Shamrock Mosaic
My almost 3 year old loved choosing the shapes & colors!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

<3 Lishie

Avocado Melt

Easiest sandwich ever. Ever. I got the idea off of Pinterest. I get so inspired on there!!! And I love to create... cook, craft, plan...

This is the perfect lunch for those non-meat, Lenten days... or any day!

And check out the east St. Patrick's Day children's craft :)

Enjoy!
<3 Lishie

Avocado Melt
makes 1

• 1 roll, sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• cheese, shredded (I used an Italian mix of Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, Fontina, Romano & Asiago)

Turn on broiler.
Prep-line a broiler-safe pan with foil.
Place the roll, open, on the foil. Layer the avocado slices, then sprinkle the grated cheese on. Place under the broiler for about 2 minutes, until cheese is browned.

Easy Craft: Shamrock Mosaic
My almost 3 year old loved choosing the shapes & colors!

Valentine's Day

One of my new years resolutions was to attempt some things from a more convenient method... like a cake box mix. Well, I had no idea that cake mixes come in strawberry (really, no idea!) & I was thrilled to see it in its pretty pink coloring on the box! So, on a whim, I bought it. Then had second thoughts... up until I had an allergy attack Saturday night that put me in bed early & was exhausted on Sunday after waking early, mass, cleaning, etc... Well, I figured, let me try the box mix! I switched out apple sauce for oil, kept the same amount of eggs & water & followed the 350 degree directions...

But...

Used this Nordicware mini heart pan (350 degrees for 20-25 minutes):

 Extras: Sprinkled Confection Sugar

& this Avon Brownie Pop one (350 degrees for 15-20 minutes):

Extras: Rainbow Non-pareils & Red Sugar Crystals & pop sticks

And, well, it all turned out all right & I admit, TASTY! 

Happy Valentine's Everyone!

<3 Lishie

Here are the crafts I created with & for my toddler:

Class Valentines: "A Valentine for Kazoo"

Teacher Gifts: "Thank you for helping me grow."

Signed... I love you

Repurposed egg carton as Tic Tac Toe

T-Shirt for my Gabriel-Bot

More Valentines Crafts & Treats to come!

Thank you

Thanksgiving is here. Time to reflect upon everything we are thankful for! And I have to tell you, truthfully, I am thankful every day of my life for everything I have; I am so fortunate for my family & my friends. And I am so thankful for you all who read my blog! THANK YOU. Now that I have a child, I want to convey to him how appreciative I am & I want to teach him to be the same. Along with this, I want to also teach him the history of Thanksgiving.

Part of my childhood was spent in Brockton, Massachusetts, not far from Boston. And due to this we also were able to travel to other parts of the state, like Salem & Plymouth. I was able to see Plymouth Rock up close & hear the history of the Mayflower & the Pilgrims there. We will be voyaging to MA at some point soon with our toddler but until then, I can teach him in other ways. I was ecstatic to see these in Disney Family Magazine. Great for Gabriel's school! (And no eggs!!!):

Plymouth Rock Cookies

via Disney Family Fun Magazine

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons milk
• black & green food coloring

Heat the oven to 375°. With a mixer, blend the butter, 1 cup of the sugar, and the extracts for about 1 minute. Add the flour and salt. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the milk with a wooden spoon until the dough sticks together.

Form the dough into eight Plymouth Rock shapes (ours measure 3 by 4 inches and about 1/2-inch thick). Press a small rectangular lid (we used a spice container) 

into the dough to create a frame, then use a toothpick to engrave the date 1620.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the cookies begin to brown. Remove them and let them cool completely.

For a gray glaze, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk with a drop of black food coloring and a drop of green food coloring. Adjust the color and, if needed, add milk to thin the glaze so that it's brushable. Apply it 

to the cookies with a pastry brush, then let it cool and harden for an hour.

I love this book: 

"The Story of Thanksgiving"

by Nancy Skarmeas 

Illustrated by Stacy Venturi-Pickett

 ISBN 9780824941642


This series of books is great- explains the history is an easy & fun manner for ages 2 & up!

Followed up by...


We crafted a Mayflower together! Easy to draw, then color... used rectangular pieces of white tissue paper for the sails. 


The best part about crafts with toddlers? It does not have to perfect & the child still has fun! And learns. 


Lastly, all of the craft stores have these great little kits. They contain ALL the pieces you need & are inexpensive. Gabriel loved making this turkey:

And, there's the Native American craftwork, like this feather headband, modeled by Gabriel:

Or, Native American "Cave Art" made with sidewalk chalk:

And a Native American Rain Stick made with an empty paper towel roll-holder, filled 1/4 the way with dry beans then closed on the ends with plastic wrap & rubber bands. Chalk coloring the outside:

I will be blogging all week & crafting more with my tot, but want to say early:

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

<3 Lishie

Ghoul~Lish~Ly FUN

October really gets the creativity flowing especially with a little one. Between the holiday & nature's bounty of autumnal produce, so much abounds to use in recipes. This post is to highlight a couple of my favorite ideas to help you prepare now for those fun costume parties & kid's birthdays. I will have more posts to come with more ideas. 


Enjoy!
<3 Lishie


Graveyard Cake

One of my favorite, & easiest, Halloween treats is the Graveyard Cake.

Any Cake Flavor (yes, you can even use a box mix here ;) but my cake of choice is: HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake
Frosting~ Works best with a darker, chocolaty frosting (again, see above)

Graveyard Cake

For the "dirt"~ You can use any of the following: 
Crushed Oreos or gingersnaps, Ground Chocolate Graham Crackers, or Shaved Chocolate (take a vegetable peeler or a box grater to the chocolate)


For the "gravestones" ~ Use Any oval, round or square cookie (here I've used vienna fingers & oreos). Write on the cookies using cake frosting. After "writing" on them, insert halfway into the "dirt".


Added touch ~ Candied pumpkins & candy corn. Or....

Yum~skulls

Chocolate Molded Candy


OK, this is my greatest idea yet for all holidays. Know those wonderful, fun & CHEAP silicone ice trays that have come out everywhere? Well they double fantastically as reusable candy molds! Just get Candy melts like I used here for the Chocolate-dipped Pretzels... Melt according to the package directions. Spray the clean mold with cooking spray (only original or canola oil flavored)... & fill the compartments in the "ice" tray with the melted chocolate candy. Allow to form & harden, then pop 'em out. Yummy, um, candy skulls... or pumpkins, etc.  

Inexpensive Silicone Ice Trays

And, of course, there are always the Worm Cupcakes:

 Worm Cupcakes

Worms in Dirt

A Gabriel, easy, baby or toddler craft

~ Sesame Street Inspired ~

So mommy, daddy, grandma & Gabriel are on are way to Sesame Street Live's morning performance. These tickets were not simply bought the usual way, no. Gabriel won them with his drumming skills :) He came up as the Izod Center's winner & scored 4 tickets! That's my Drummer Boy! Here he is... A craft he & I have done together... Pull apart mini-lemon cupcakes I've made for him &, finally, the winning video. I adore my Squoosh, my Rock Star!

<3 Mommy Lishie

Drummer Boy!

Elmo Craft!

 

Elmo & Cookie Monster Pull Apart Mini~Cupcakes

Gabriel reading his program during intermission <3

Crafting with the Toddler

Sometimes a recipe isn't about food (as a recent Sesame Street explains really well). It's about a craft. Thank you to Crafts by Amanda for reminding me that Salt Dough can be handled like Play Doh, then shaped & baked, not just used for Christmas ornaments. My toddler & I had fun making this paper weight for mommy's desk (look closely- Gabriel smushed it, creating his hand print! <3) 


Get your little one's senses & creative juices flowing with this recipe:


Salt Dough
*this makes more than one paperweight.

• 1/2 cup Salt
• 1 cup Flour + more, as needed!
• 1/2 cup Water

Combine the flour & salt first. then add water. If it is not clay-consistency, add a little more flour until it is. But don't make it too dry! It will crack then.


Bake it on a parchment lined cookie sheet on 200-250 degrees for 2+ hours until it is completely cooked through. Allow it to cool completely!


*When finished you can preserve it with sealant or decoupage glue.

& like I said, I use this recipe for ornaments too! As well as molding clay :)

Melissa & Doug GIVEAWAY!!!!!

MELISSA & DOUG GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Melissa & Doug are a HUGE favorite in our home. We have countless puzzles- chunky ones, noise-maker ones, magnetic ones... Blocks- wooden & nestled... Wooden playsets... Our refrigerater is covered in Melissa & Doug animal magnets, grandma's in dinosaur magnets. Outdoor stuff- a Puppy Dogwin sprinkler & garden tools.

Oh yeah, and Gabriel, my 2 year old tot just happened to get a new Sunny Patch Scootin' Turtle lunch bag! That is quite the coincidence since shortly thereafter, Melissa & Doug sent me these brilliantly-colored sand toys to review then giveaway, I was ecstatic! Why? Because Gabriel loves their products, they make him extremely happy, which in turn makes me one happy mama!!!

Right off the bat, before the toys hit the great outdoors, Gabriel took possession of the nestled Seaside Sidekicks Sand Molding Set... And they became his. He played the "hide-one-under-the-other game". He stacked them. He even took a couple into the bathtub with him. Then after I dried all- toddler & toys, he even brought the twinkle, twinkle little "Star"fish one to bed. Now that is love!

Seaside Sidekicks Sand Molding Set (Gabriel's favorite!)

The 3 sets that have made it outside are great! So colorful & vibrant. These are not your old-time sand toys. They have the old-time quality with added imagination. The Clicker Crab Pail and Scoop is adorable with it's crabby shovel.  With the Seaside Sidekicks Sand Cupcake Set  & Seaside Sidekicks Sand Baking Set Gabriel mirrored his "DeLish" mama in the sand.  For me, Melissa & Doug are smart toys. 

 


If you want to purchase these items now you can go to the Melissa & Doug website and I will also insert the product page links below to make it easier for you to find them:
 

Seaside Sidekicks Sand Cupcake Set (Item 6431)

Seaside Sidekicks Sand Baking Set (Item 6432)

Clicker Crab Pail and Scoop (Item 6400) 

Seaside Sidekicks Sand Molding Set (Item 6423)

Melissa & Doug is giving one very lucky follower of DeLish the chance to win one of each of the 4 toys Gabriel & I  received to review, over a $50 value!

I need over 100 "LIKES" on my DeLish FB page...
You must already "LIKE" DeLish...

For EACH ONE of these, you will be entered ONCE:

(1) COMMENT under this "Melissa & Doug" Blog post here, ON MY BLOG telling me who you would give these cute toys to.

(2) "LIKE" Melissa And Doug on FB & tell them DeLish Sent you (If you are already a fan/"like" them- write on their wall again.)

(3) SHARE this Wall Post on your FB wall & let me know!

The giveaway will end on Sunday July 3rd at 11:59 PM EST

GOOD LUCK!!!

Note: I was not compensated for this review, however, I was provided the products at no charge to complete the review.The views and opinions stated are that of my own and are not influenced by anyone.

Melissa and Doug Contest Teaser

Because my blog is more than a cooking log... it's about food, yes, but food & FAMILY, including my toddler... well, Melissa and Doug have provided me with 4 of their new sand toy line to review, with Gabriel, of course! Weather permitting, we will be heading to the beach this weekend. But until then, I wanted to give a sneak peak at my toddler's FAVORITE so far, indoors:

Seaside Sidekicks Sand Molding Set (Item 6423)

Gabriel LOVES the items as themselves or together. He's using them the EXACT SAME WAY he would the Melissa & Doug Nesting Blocks he adores, stacking them one inside each other... We've also used them as "hats" (this kid has some imagination!) & traced them onto paper! The colors on these toys are so vibrant & eye-catching it is like having the sun inside!!! We cannot wait to get all of the sand toys outside & into the sun & sand for some FUN!

For now, why don't you...

(1) Follow me here...

(2) Stop over to my FB page & say hi!

DeLish FACEBOOK Page

(3) Stop over to Melissa and Doug's FB page & tell them DeLish sent you...

Melissa and Doug FACEBOOK Page

These "Likes" will all add up as entries later :)

I will have more on the contest after Gabriel & I play, I mean, test out the Sunny Patch items!!!

Melissa and Doug Sunny Patch Items

*Lishie Note: I was not compensated for this review, however, I was provided the products at no charge to complete the review.The views and opinions stated are that of my own and are not influenced by anyone.

Vanilla Egg Cakelets & Crayon-Shape Craft

EGGLET

It's Easter Eve & I've baked a fresh strawberry cake (will post the recipe tomorrow) & these "cakelets" that I make every year for the children- nieces & nephews, & this year, my toddler. I call them my Egglets.

I have a cupboard full of different bakeware in different sizes, shapes, holidays... all for different purposes & made of different materials. For these cakelets, you need an egg-shaped pan. Mine is from Williams-Sonoma but Nordicware also has one.


Williams-Sonoma Recipe for Vanilla-Egg-Cakelets
I follow the recipe exactly except I leave out the apricot jam part. I also use my vanilla frosting recipe, below, instead. And they come out yummy & perfect for the children.

Bare Egglets.

All dressed for the Easter Parade.

Vanilla Frosting

• 1/2 Cup Shortening
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp Orange Juice
• 2 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
• 3 TBSp Milk

Using the mixer paddle, beat the shortening, vanilla & juice together. Slowly add half the sugar & then a TBSp of milk, incorporating the everything well. Slowly add the rest of the sugar & more of the milk until well-mixed & spreading consistency. 

This is the perfect amount for 9 cakelets. Decorate the egglets with sprinkles, colored sugar, etc. These are for the children- they did not have to be perfect :)

Crayon-Shape Craft

OK, everyone with children seems to have broken, in pieces crayons. I did not, yet at least, until Gabriel's 2nd Birthday Party last week. And I was excited because I've been wanting to do this craft! Be careful- this is a good one for your children to watch, not help. The wax is hot!!! These make great favors for birthday parties or great gifts to accompany coloring books. 

Start out by taking the paper off of the broken crayons. Line a muffin tin with liners. In each, separate liner, place the color combination that you want the melted color to be:

Blue & Pink pieces.

Place the tin in the oven on it's lowest setting. I did 200 degrees. There's no "time"- just keep watch until the crayon wax is entirely melted together & looks like this:

Have this ready: 

Heart & a Star...

Parchment paper & METAL, cooking-sprayed cookie cutters (not the plastic! they may melt from the heat) or Candy shapes plastic from the craft store. 

HOLD the cookie cutter in place tightly & carefully pour the melted wax into the cookie cutter. Hold until the wax sets, just a moment. And you will end up with these:

BEAUTIFULLY, repurposed, shaped crayons!

Hoppy Easter everyone!!!!
*Lishie