Savory Owl Snack - Letter "O"

Ingredients:

1 small container of plain cream cheese

1 package of round crackers

1 small box of mini crackers with cheese inside

1 package of slivered almonds

1 small jar of whole raw almonds

1 small box of raisins

Directions:

Whoooo's hungry? You will need: cream cheese , round crackers, mini cheese crackers , whole and slivered almonds, and raisins. Spread layer of cream cheese . Create feather pattern. Place whole almond in center for beak. Flank with cheese crackers . Arrange slivered almonds for ear tufts and wings. Use cream cheese to add raisin eyes. 

To watch an easy step-by-step "how to" video, click HERE

Also, HERE is a great recipe for Chocolate Octopuses that I made with my son a few years ago. It makes for another great letter "O" recipe.

Chocolate Spiders - Letter "S"

Ingredients:

¼ c. butter

1 – 12 oz. package of semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. butterscotch chips + save a few extra for the eyes

¼ c. creamy peanut butter

4 c. crisp rice cereal

1 can of chow mein noodles

Waxed paper

Directions:

1. Cover baking sheet with waxed paper. Combine butter, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in large saucepan; stir over medium heat until chips are melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter; mix well. Add cereal; stir to evenly coat.

2. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet; insert chow mein noodles for legs and add some of the extra butterscotch chips for eyes.

3. Allow to harden and enjoy!

Makes about 3 dozen

Original recipe found in Frightfully Fun Halloween Recipes

Jell-o Jigglers - Letter "J"

what you need

2-1/2

cups  boiling water (Do not add cold water.)

4 pkg.  (3 oz. each) JELL-O Gelatin, any flavor - Olivia chose the berry blue flavor

make it

STIR boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 3 min. until completely dissolved. Pour into 13x9-inch pan.

REFRIGERATE at least 3 hours or until firm.

DIP bottom of pan in warm water 15 sec. Cut into 24 decorative shapes using 2-inch cookie cutters, being careful to cut all the way through gelatin to bottom of pan. Lift JIGGLERS® from pan. Reserve scraps for snacking. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/jell-o-jigglers-53920.aspx

Hot Dogs on a Ride - Letter "H"

Olivia loves hotdogs so this was a perfect recipe for her:)

Ingredients:

Hot Dogs (We used Hebrew National).

Puff Pastry Large Squares

Baby Gerkins

Pickle Chips

Sliced Black Olives

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425

1. Boil your hot dogs, or cook them in a skillet, until fully cooked. Let cool.

2. Wrap each individual hot dog in 1 square of puff pastry. Make sure to leave some hot dog sticking out from both ends.

3. Cut 2 small slits in the center of the pastry – about 2 inches apart

4. Make an egg wash and brush onto tops of the puff pastry. Place wrapped hot dogs onto baking tray and cook for about 20 minutes until pastry has turned a golden brown.

5. While pastry is cooking. Take your baby gerkins and carve out little faces using the tip of a paring knife.

6. When dogs are ready – assemble with gerkins as the people, the chip as the steering wheel and the olives as the tires.

I found this idea here: http://kosherstreet.com/2011/07/playing-with-our-food-fun-kid-hot-dog-recipes/

Gingerbread Cookies - Letter "G"

I found this recipe from a book: Cookie Fun by: Judith Hoffman Corwin

"Everyone loves these charming gingerbread cookies and they have been a long-time tradition at holidays. In fourteenth-century Europe they were baked and sold at carnivals. Later at holiday time in the Scandinavian countries they were baked and beautifully decorated with white sugar icing. The early American settlers even brought their recipes for gingerbread cookies with them to be enjoyed in their new home." - Cookie Fun

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg yolk

2 1/2 tbsp. corn syrup

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. ground ginger

extra flour to roll out the dough

extra butter to grease the cookie sheet

1/4 c. confectioner's (powdered) sugar

a few raisins for eyes, optional (We used M&Ms)

some gel decorating icing

wax paper

cookie cutters

Directions:

1. Combine the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolk and corn syrup. Continue stirring until mixture is completely blended.

2. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Stir well. You will now have a stiff dough. Wrap the dough in wax paper and chill for several hours. If you do not want to use all the dough at once, you can leave some in the refrigerator for another day.

3. Roll the dough to 1/4" thickness on a lightly floured surface. 

4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

So delicious!!

Flag Cake - Letter "F"

Ingredients:
1 box of festive patriotic funfetti cake mix
1 container of white fluffy icing
1 small container of strawberries (sliced up for the stripes)
2 heaping handfuls of blueberries (for the 50 stars)

Directions:
Bake the cake mix as directed in a rectangle cake pan. Let cool completely. Either turn upside down on a cake plate or leave in pan. Add the icing. Lastly add the fruit. Perfect for July 4th! Enjoy!

"Ta-da!"

Ice Cream - Letter "I"

Here are two delicious ice cream recipes that we have used lately. Sorry, but I will not be putting measurements beside the ingredients because honestly I did not do measuring. I have the Sunbeam Electric Half Pint Gel Canister Ice Cream Maker. It is just so easy to use and the kids love it! I just found myself adding the ingredients to the maker without measuring them.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:
Sugar
Milk
Heavy Whipping Cream
Strawberries

Coffee Amaretto Ice Cream

Ingredients:
Amaretto liquid Coffee Creamer
Instant Coffee (I prefer Decaf)
Heavy Whipping Cream
Milk
Sugar
Vanilla extract

Dirt Cake - Letter "D"

by: Sheila Boyd

Ingredients:
1 c. confectioners' sugar
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 - 8 oz. Cool Whip
2 pkgs. French Vanilla pudding (instant)
3 1/3 c. milk
Lg. bag Oreo cookies, crushed
1 pkg. gummy worms

Directions:
In one bowl combine sugar, butter, and cream cheese. Blend well. In another bowl, mix Cool Whip, contents of the two pudding packets, and milk. Then combine both mixtures. In a medium plastic flower pot, layer cookies and mix. Make sure to put cookies on bottom and top. May decorate with artificial flower and use a garden spade to serve with.

mixing sugar, butter, and cream cheese

breaking up the Oreos

Teepees - Letter "T"

Ingredients:
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 box of sugar cones
sprinkles
1 box of cake mix - I like to use Funfetti.
pretzel sticks

Directions:
Using a muffin tin, fill the sugar cones with the cake mix. I stood mine up in cupcake holders so any batter that ran out wouldn't make a mess. Once the cake inside the cones has finished cooking, take it out of the oven and set it aside. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Cut a small hole in the tops of the cones. Then dip the bottom and top of the cones in the chocolate. Add sprinkles to the bottom of the cones. Then put pretzel sticks at the top. Very cute and very yummy!

Here are some books I used with Olivia to teach her more about teepees and Indians. The books are long so we didn't read all of them, but the pictures are helpful.
If You Lived with the Sioux Indians by: Ann McGovern
Tipi: Home of the Nomadic Buffalo Hunters by: Paul Goble
Dancing Teepees by: Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve

Clown Cupcakes - Letter "C"

Ingredients:
1 regular size box of cake mix - I use Pillsbury Funfetti.
1 container of icing - again I use Funfetti
1 box of sugar ice cream cones
assorted candies: m&m's, gum drops, and whatever you prefer
mini Nilla Wafers
1 tube of decorative gel icing

Directions:
Bake your cupcakes and allow to cool completely. Frost the cupcake and then decorate! Have fun!
sugar ice cream cones - hat
mini Nilla Wafers - ears
m&m's - eyes
red gum drops - nose
gel icing - mouth & top of hat