Crafting with Little Kids: Thankful Tree

It’s November and time to get ready for the next holiday, Thanksgiving.  I like to talk with my son about what the holiday means in a way he can understand and what the holiday means to me.  Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday as an adult since it involves no gifts, just sharing good food with family and friends.

One way we get ready for Thanksgiving is reading books about the holiday or about turkeys.  Check with your local library for some great seasonal books.  We also start talking about what we are thankful for and why we are thankful.  One way to discuss thankfulness is by creating a Thankful Tree.  This was a more involved project than usual for my son’s short attention span, so I broke it up into parts over the course of the day.  We did the drawing and tracing at one sitting, he played while I cut everything out, and then he came back later to add the thankful words and sayings.  I also decided to attach this tree to my refrigerator and made the hands magnetic and changeable.  Besides being able to add different thankful words on different days, my son loves to play with magnets on the fridge door.  You can skip the magnet part and just adhere the hands with tape to the tree.

Materials:

• large piece of cardboard, brown paper, or similar, approximately 11″ x 14″  (I used a piece of brown wrapping paper from Ikea, but cardboard would have been sturdier.)
• several sheets of construction paper or foam sheets in autumn colors
• roll of magnet tape (AC Moore sells this for aobut $.80)
• scissors
• pencil, markers
• glue, if you think you need it.  I found that the magnet tape was sticky enough
• tape

Directions:

1. I used a piece of brown wrapping paper and hand drew, poorly, an outline of a tree with branches.  A very basic tree, with fairly thick branches.  I then asked my son to color it as he liked.  He added some bark embellishments to the bottom. 
2. I then traced both of his hands on the colored foam sheets using a pencil, although construction paper would work as well.  He traced my hand and his dad’s hand too. 
3. Cut out the tree and hands.  The tree was a bit tricky for me since I used wrapping paper.  It would have been easier if it was cardboard.  I then used my son’s cut-out hands to trace and cut out more out of different colors.
4. Cut off approximately one inch pieces of the magnet tape and adhere it to the back of each hand. 
5. Tape the tree to your refrigerator or other magnetic surface.  If you prefer to not clutter up your refrigerator like mine, tape it to a door or wall and skip adding the magnet tape.  Just tape the hand/leaves to the tree.
6. Talk to your child about what he or she is thankful for and help them come up with words or short phrases that can be written on their hands.  On the brown hands I used a white paint marker so it would stand out.  On the others I used a sharpie pen, but a regular marker would work too.
7. Decorate the tree with it’s leaves!  We left a few blank so that throughout the month we can update what we are thankful for as Thanksgiving draws near.

Happy November!
You can read more about preschool crafts, activities and food on Diane’s blog, Knitting Zeal.

A Tasty Tuesday Thanksgiving: Appetizers

OK friends, as promised, I’ll be spending the month of November bringing you posts chock full of recipe inspiration for your Thanksgiving Feast in a few weeks. Each week, I’ll focus on one area of the meal (Appetizers, Side Dishes, Main Meal and….of course….Desserts). It is my aim to give you several recipes for each category, so you have plenty to choose from.


I. LOVE. THANKSGIVING.


And, really, let’s be honest: I cannot help myself when it comes to all the food offered. I MUST sample everything. I must savor. I must enjoy. I love trying all the offerings that are unique to this day, food I don’t get the other 364 days each year. I love the family. The friends. The togetherness.


End result?


Total Thankfulness.


Win-Win-Win.


OK. I digress.


Today’s topic: Appetizers


Sometimes, I find the beginning and the end of big meals like this are my favorite: sinful little snacks to fill up on before the big meal, and delectable goodies to top off with at the end of the night. Appetizers are so great: dips, tapas, or even just the simple spread of cheese and crackers that somehow taste extra good because it’s a holiday.


When guests arrive at your home, it’s best to offer them an array of appetizers. Some people are like me, and dig in to everything you have to offer. Others have more self-restrain (kudos, friends), and portion healthier appetizers so that they maintain a reasonable caloric intake over the course of the entire day.


More power to you.


Here are a few appetizer ideas. There is enough variety to appease each guest:

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Cheese, Cracker and Vegetable Crudite

Arrange several simple cheese (I suggest Sharp Cheddar, Swiss, Pepper Jack and Brie) on a serving plate. Cut up celery, broccoli, carrots and peppers. In a smaller serving bowl, offer French Onion Dip or Ranch Dressing. Complete with a mixed assortment of crackers.

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Spinach Dip in a Pumpernickel Bread Bowl

• 1 C. Sour Cream
• 1 C. Mayonnaise
• 1 pkg Knorrs Vegetable Soup Mix
• 1 5-oz can of water chestnuts, chopped fine
• 1 bunch of scallions, chopped fine
• 10 oz of spinach: cooked, drained and chopped
• 1 8-oz block of cream cheese
• 1 loaf of round dark bread (Pumpernickel is the usual favorite)

Squeeze spinach to remove excess moisture. Combine all ingredients through cream cheese. Hollow out the bread, making a bowl. Take the cut out pieces and cut into cubes for eating the dip. Chill. Shortly before serving, fill the bread bowl with dip. Place bread cubes around the bowl. Leftovers keep very well in fridge!

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Goat Cheese Log with Pepper Jelly

It’s as simple as it sounds. Place a log of Chevre goat cheese onto a serving plate. Spoon Red Pepper Jelly over the cheese. Serve with crackers

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Asparagus Roll Ups

• 1 block of cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons of fresh chvies
• 8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbed/cut up
• parmesan cheese
• butter
• 16 asparagus stalks
• 16 slices of bread from a loaf (Jess used Wheat Bread)

Put asaparagus onto skillet with water for 6-8 minutes. Mix cream cheese, chives, bacon into a bowl. Use a rolling pin and flatten the bread completely. Remove crusts. Spread cream cheese mixture onto bread. Top with asapragus (if too big, cut in half, and but both pieces onto the bread), and roll up. Melt butter and drizzle over asparagus roll-ups. Finish by sprinkling with parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes until crisp/golden.

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Seven Layer Mexican Dip

• 2 Blocks Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 can Refried Beans
• 1 can Sliced Black Olives
• 1-2 cups Salsa
• 1-2 cups Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
• 1/2 cup Diced Onion
• 1/2 cup Diced Red Pepper

On a serving platter, spread cream cheese so it covers entire bottom. Layer each of the next ingredients through Cheese. Sprinkle Onion and Red Pepper over top. Serve with Tortilla Chips.

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It’s also classy to offer a signature drink. If you want to make it high class, here is a recipe for Pomegranate Martinis:

Pomegranate Martinis

• 1 oz. vodka
• 1/2 oz. orange liqueur (Cointreau is the suggestion)
• 3 oz. pomegranate juice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shake 1/4 filled with chopped ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

If you are looking for something non-alchoholic, consider this spiced Apple Cider (courtesy of my husband, Bill):

Bill’s Spiced Apple Cider

• 1/2 Gallon of Apple Cider
• 3/4 cup of Orange Juice (use more or less to taste)
• 3 Whole Cinnamon Sticks
• 1-2 TBS Pumpkin Pie Spice (to taste – Bill eyes it, and sprinkles a good portion over the top)

Combine all ingredients in a large pot on the stove on Medium Heat. Heat through until it just starts to boil. Turn down heat, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. If you have a sieve or fine colander, strain out solids. If not, just try to use pulp free orange juice. Then all you have to do is pick out the cinnamon sticks, which isn’t too difficult!

Pour into mugs and ENJOY!

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I hope this gets your Thanksgiving Feast up and running. Stay tuned, as next week we’ll be talking SIDE DISHES!

We would love to hear about YOUR Appetizer Recipes. Are you willing to share? If so, fill out the form below! We can compile recipes over the next few weeks, and do a big post the week of Thanksgiving! So dig out those recipes boxes and share the wealth!

You can read more about Steph’s life and recipes at her blog, Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom.

FREE Thanksgiving Coloring Pages, Activities and More

Tabletop Activity for Turkey Day

While the turkey is cooking, kids can have fun with this Thanksgiving-themed activity sheet.

Click here to download and print and browse dozens of other Thanksgiving printables.

Stuffed Animals on Parade

While watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade keep your little ones busy marching in their own Thanksgiving Day Parade with their Stuffed Animals and musical instruments.

What are You Thankful For Family Activity

As your guests arrive have them write down what they are thankful for on one of the leaves below. Before dinner share with the family.

Click here to download and print

Easy Thanksgiving Craft: Photo Napkin Rings

Photo Napkin Rings

by Nicole Blasenak Shapiro of Family Fun Magazine

These napkin rings will inspire an entertaining jaunt down memory lane and serve as place markers too. Guests contribute old photos (how can you not love seeing Gramps on his first day of school or Aunt May with a punk hairdo?). At dinnertime, ask the kids to identify the subject of each photo and then escort that guest to his seat. There are sure to be some laughs along the way!

Materials Digital images of old photos
Scissors
Glue
Scrapbook paper
Tape

Instructions
Gather digital images or scan old photos. Print each photo and trim it into a square, then glue it to scrapbook paper and trim the paper to leave a 1/4-inch border on all sides.

Cut a paper strip (ours is 1 3/4 by 8 1/2 inches), fold it into four equal parts to make a squared-off ring, insert a rolled napkin, and tape the ring ends together. Use tape to attach the mounted photo to the ring.

Cider Cocktails and Fig-Goat Cheese Beggars Purses

Two weeks until Thanksgiving. I think I told you all how I really love having a “cocktail of the night” feature when I entertain. This is especially true on holidays. It can be so fun to tie a cocktail in to the holiday or time of year. It helps set the tone for the night. This is a cocktail I served on Halloween but it truly has all the flavors of Thanksgiving, with apples, apple cider, maple syrup – it’s perfect. It was delicious and a big hit on Halloween. It’s officially called Martha’s Sinister Cider Cocktail but for Thanksgiving you can just take out the “sinister” from the name. For an appetizer this week, I wanted to share Beggar’s Purses. These are pretty easy to make and can be assembled, covered with damp paper towels and plastic wrap and placed in the fridge. Just stick them in the oven before serving. You can get really creative with what you put in them too. Try replacing the Fig Jam with Pumpkin Butter and adding some toasted walnuts. Enjoy!

Recipe: Martha’s Cider Cocktail
Recipe from Martha Stewart seen on The Party Blueprints Blog.
• 1 Lady Apple -chopped
• 1/2 a Lime – cut into wedges
• 1 oz Maple Syrup
• 1 oz Apple Cider
• 2 oz Vodka
• Ice
• Club Soda
• 1 Lady apple – thinly sliced, for garnish

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle together apple cubes and lime wedges.
2. Add syrup, cider, and vodka.
3. Fill shaker with ice. Cover and shake until well combined.
4. Strain into a martini glass and top with club soda.
5. Garnish with apple slice and serve.

Serves 1

Recipe: Fig-Goat Cheese Beggar’s Purses
• 1 package of Phyllo dough
• 16 oz Goat Cheese
• 1 jar Fig Jam
• 2 tbs Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1 bunch of Chives

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the phyllo dough into 3″ squares and brush with melted butter.
3. In the center of each square place 1 tablespoon goat cheese and top with about 1 teaspoon jam.
4. Gather phyllo around filling and tie a chive in a knot to close the purse.
5. Bake 8-10 minutes, until phyllo is a golden brown in color. Serve immediately.

Note: Phyllo dough dries out easily. Only keep the phyllo sheets you are working with out of the fridge and try to work quickly. I also found that it helps to make a circle with the chive before putting it around the top of the phyllo and then tighten it around the top.

For more recipes, cooking and entertaining tips from Zareen, check out her blog Cooking With Z.

Everything Thanksgiving Event at Wegman’s ( Downingotwn, Malvern & Collegeville)

Wegman’s Everything Thanksgiving Event

Saturday, November 13th

11:00am-3:00PM

It’s going to be like Turkey 101. You can see a carving demonstration at 1:00 PM, get samples of appetizers, sides and desserts, and let the kids have fun with activities, crafts and more!

Click here or on the photo above for more info

Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions & Pear-Apple Champagne Cocktail – Great for this weekend or Thanksgiving!

Halloween’s over. Next up Thanksgiving. With this yummy food centric holiday approaching at the end of this month, I thought throughout November, I would share you with a cocktail and appetizer that you could use for the coming weekend or on Thanksgiving. One of my favorite appetizers is Bon Appetit’s Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions. It’s great for a holiday too because you can make the topping the day before and just bake it before serving and it is an easy dish to make for a crowd. Gooey warm brie with caramelized onions – this one is always a hit!

For the cocktail, I wanted to share my recipe for a Pear-Apple Champagne Cocktail. The flavor of pears and apples are so reminiscent of fall and for a holiday the champagne makes it festive.

Recipe: Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions
Adapted from Bon Appetite

• 2 tbs butter
• 4 large onions, sliced
• 1 tbs fresh thyme leaves -minced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 oz. dry white wine
• 1 tsp sugar
• Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste.
• (1) 8″ – 10″ in diameter wheel of Brie
• 2 French bread baguettes, sliced

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions. It will seem like too many onions but they will really cook down. Saute the onions about 6 minutes until they begin to get soft.
2. Add minced thyme and lower the heat to medium. Cook about 20-25 minutes, until the onions are golden brown in color. Stir often.
3. Add the garlic and and cook an additional 2 minutes.
4. Stir in 2 ounces of the wine cooking for 2 more minutes until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the onions and cook 10 minutes until the onion mixture is soft and brown. Pour in the remaining 2 ounces of wine and mix until it just evaporates this take around 2 minutes.
5. Mix in salt and pepper and let mixture cool. Once the mixture has cooled, you can place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two days.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Unwrap the Brie and carefully slice off a thin layer on top. You want to remove the white rind from the top of the Brie only and leave the rind on the sides and the bottom intact. Place in a pie dish about no more than 1″ larger than Brie wheel, rind side down. Place the onion mixture evenly on top of the Brie. Bake until cheese just melts, about 30 minutes. Serve with baguette slices.

Recipe: Pear-Apple Champagne Cocktail

• 1 oz. Pear Vodka like Grey Goose Poire
• 1.5 oz. Apple Cider
• 4 oz. Champagne
• 1 Small Pear (like Seckel Pears), thinly sliced

1. In a shaker filled with ice, mix Pear Vodka and Apple Cider. Pour into the bottom of a Champagne flute.
2. Top with Champagne.
3. Garnish with a pear slice.

For more recipes, cooking and entertaining tips from Zareen, check out her blog Cooking With Z.

Call for Thanksgiving Recipes & Family Traditions

I can’t believe it is November already. I feel like October just flew by. Time to start thinking about Thanksgiving. Regular readers of this site will know that I a bit “challenged” when it comes to my culinary abilities. I love to read Steph’s Tasty Tuesday recipes and I love that she breaks down the recipe so the not so confident cook like me can do it and not gross my family out with a recipe gone horribly wrong. So far so good for me.. and the baked ziti recipe she shared back in August is now one of my family favorites.

So last year I decided that I was going to start my own Thanksgiving Tradition. Every year I want to add something new to our family feast, whether it is an appetizer, side dish or dessert, I love the idea of throwing something new into the mix. Last year we added a cherry pie to the dessert line up and it was pretty tasty. If memory serves me correctly I don’t think we had any left overs.

So this year I am asking for a little help… I am sure you all have some great recipes and I would love to tap into your culinary know how and try some of them.. I will publish all of the recipes that are submitted.

I love a new Tradition too. So if there is something you do with your family to get ready for Thanksgiving or that makes the day extra special, I would love to hear about that too.

Thank You in advance.. I am really excited about my new little tradition and appreciate you sharing your recipes with me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sarah

Take Time for Tradition.. Thanksgiving Edition

Thanksgiving is here. . . and it is my most favorite time of year. For me, it’s the official beginning of the holiday season. It’s a day filled with traditions from the moment I wake up till the hour I finally fall asleep. Where to begin? The day starts with a styrofoam cup of hot chocolate and a Philly soft pretzel that I eat while watching the annual Thanksgiving Parade along the streets of Center City. Then after Santa has officially arrived and thrown me my first candy cane of the season, I head home to thaw out. I snuggle up on the couch and try to begin writing my annual Christmas letter before the hustle and bustle of the season comes upon me and I am feeling not-so-thankful for my crazy busy life. In the afternoon, we have a huge dinner with my husband’s entire family – and we’re not talking a table set for 12. . .try more like 37 people! Picture endless rows of folding tables spilling out of the dining room into the living room and don’t forget the kid’s table out in the kitchen all set with special name tents designed by the once 8 year old who is now about to graduate high school! After the glutonous meal, which by the way, is a tradition in and of itself. Hello? When else would I choose to eat fruit in the shape of a cyclinder (that my mom used to pass off as jello) and think that the meal was not complete without it. Or the turkey, in our house there’s actually two birds to help feed the masses. . so many choices. . . white meat, dark meat, roasted or fried and the legs. . don’t even get me started on how the legs have been claimed by certain members of the family since my husband was a toddler! But, that’s what makes this day great. It is over-flowing with tradition. . . and I have to say my personal favorite one is gathering all the circulars after everyone goes to bed and mapping out my Black Friday Shopping Extravaganza. Yep that’s right. . as if the day didn’t have enough going for it. . I spend hours pouring over the best deals to be had and get only a few hours of sleep before starting the next tradition-filled day of my life!

So this year, consider what traditions your family has. . maybe its jammed-pack like mine or maybe its time to start a few new ones. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Cut out as many leaves in autumn-colored papers as you have guests. Ask each guest to write down what they are thankful for and place them on the tree, or in a basket or bowl on the dinner table. Then, after dinner, take turns reading them as you enjoy that slice of pumpkin pie.

For the young ones in the family, make a home-made turkey craft. Start by tracing their hands to serve as the body of the turkey and then have them fill out five feather shapes and write on them five things they are thankful for. I will be great to capture what the wee-ones appreciate.

Let the games begin. . . start an annual tradition of playing flag football with the family. This tradition is sure to spark the competitive juices in the family! Make it extra special by creating a keepsake with pictures, scores, star players and journal all of the funny stories from the day. Each year add new pages to the book and take time to reflect on the past year’s celebrations.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to express appreciation to someone that has done something special for you, or touched your life in some way. It’s often those that we are closest with that we forget to show our appreciation. Create a booklet for each dinner guest with prompts like “ A favorite time with you was. . . What I admire about you is. . . I’m thankful for the way you . . . “ and have guests pick up individual’s books and fill them out in. At the end of the night, guests will go home with a book full of love and appreciation!

Do you have any family traditions that you would like to share? Leave a comment below.

Thanks to Dawn G. for submitting these great ideas for starting fun Thanksgiving traditions

Super Easy, Super Cute Thanksgiving Craft

Thanksgiving Napkin Ring
This is a super easy, super cute and inexpensive craft for toddlers & school age children

What you will need:

• scissors
• construction paper
• tape
• glue
• crayons/markers
• things to glue onto the construction paper

My kids choose feathers & acorns to decorate thier napkin rings with – to keep with a Thanksgiving theme. Collecting acorns outside was fun, kept my little ones busy for awhile and I think it excited my daughter even more about making the craft because she found the “decorations” herself. ( Of course if using acorns- make sure the person you are making the napkin ring for doesn’t have a nut allergy or isn’t too young that if the acorn were to come off the napkin ring- it could be a choking hazard)

Step 1: Cut the constuction paper into strips ( I cut mine 2 inches wide by 4 inches long, but wrap your undecorated paper stip around your napkin to check the length & width- linen napkins may require a longer strip of paper. )

Step 2: Let the kiddos decorate the construction paper strips. glue on feathers, acorns, photos, pictures from magazines or draw and color pictures with crayons or markers. Stickers would also work for this project.. have fun, be creative.

Ask you children to think about the specific family member they are creating the napkin holder for as they decorate. If “Aunt Mary” likes pink they can make a special pink creation for her. If Dad or Grandpa love football – maybe throw on a football sticker or two.

Step 3: Let your masterpiece dry over night

Step 4: Once dry fold the ends of the paper strip so they meet and tape to secure in place.

Wha-lah.. you have a custom made napkin holder sure to jazz up your Thanksgiving table.