Friday, May 13, 2011

Cake Pops!

What you will need:

1 cake box
1 jar of frosting
Eggs
Oil
Almond Bark melting chocolate
Sprinkles
Food coloring (optional)
Lollipop sticks
Clear snack bags
Ribbon
Styrofoam

Begin by making the box cake exactly as it says on the box.


Once the cake is cooled, crumble the cake using a food processor. 

Add half the jar of frosting to the cake crumbles.
Blend until fully mixed. 

Roll spoonful size balls of the cake mixture. 


Place them on a cookie sheet and place in fridge for at least an hour.

While these are in the fridge, start melting the chocolate


and get out all of the decorations.

After an hour take the cake pops out of the fridge.

 Dip one end of the lollipop stick into the melted chocolate.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Making a Pinata

What you will need:

1 balloon
1 newspaper, shredded
White paper
Several different colors of tissue paper
Large bowl
Flour
Water
Glue
Paint brush
String/ rope
Scissors


Begin by shredding several strips of newspaper. 
Then blow up a balloon and tie it off. 
Place the balloon in a large bowl.



Mix together 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of water.

Dip one strip of newspaper into the paste mixture. 
Pull off all excess mixture with your fingers.
Place the strip of newspaper on the balloon. 
Make sure to even out the newspaper so that there are little to no bumps.

Continue to do this until the whole balloon is covered.
Leave a hole at the top of the balloon so that you can add the candy and toys later.

Let dry over night.

Repeat this process at least 3 times.

On the last layer use blank white paper.

Also, instead of using flour this time you are going to use Elmer's glue.

Mix the glue and water together.

Lay the strips on the balloon just as you did with the newspaper strips.


Make sure the pinata is completely dry before you start decorating.
Since I was making a beach ball, I sectioned 6 even sections around the balloon with a pencil.


Now it's time to pop the balloon. 
Pull the popped balloon out of the pinata.
There should now be a hole at the top. 

Using a pair of scissors poke a hole on either side of the pinata. 
Use rope or string through those holes. 
(This will be used to hang the pinata later.)


Cut several pieces of tissue paper into small squares.

Mix glue and water together again. 


Use the paint brush to paint on a layer of the glue water.
Then place the tissue paper squares on the pinata.


Dip the paintbrush in the glue mixture again and then cover the tissue paper squares.
The whole square should be lightly coated.


Continue this process until you have the whole section completed. 


Do the same process for all of the sections, or for the design in which you choose.


Once all of the tissue paper is dried, cut long thin strips of tissue paper.
Fold these strips over several times.


Use scissors to cut all along one side.
Undo the folds, so that it is again a long strip.


Use the same glue mixture as before to put sections of the cut tissue paper on the pinata.


Continue to do these layers until the whole section is done.


Follow all of the same instructions for the whole pinata. 

Then fill the pinata with candy and small toys.


Hang at the party.
Let everyone have a turn hitting the pinata.
Enjoy the fun things inside after the pinata is broken!

Chicken and Black Bean Burrito

What you will need:

4 tortillas
2 chicken breasts fully cooked, shredded
1 can black beans
1 can green chilies 
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp onion flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBL vinegar
1/2 cup hot sauce or enchilada sauce
1 cup cheese
1/2 of a can of olives

Toppings: (optional based on preference)
Sour cream
tomatoes
salsa
lettuce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


In a bowl mix together shredded chicken, black beans and green chilies.


Add in cumin, chili powder,


dried onions,


salt and vinegar.

Fully mix all spices into the black bean and chicken mixture.


Place 1/2-1 cup of mixture in the center of one tortilla.


Fold the tortilla so that all ends are closed.

Then lay the rolled tortillas together in a 8x8 or 9x13 inch pan. 
(depending on how many you are making)


Cover all of the tortillas with either the hot sauce or the enchilada sauce.


Then cover with cheese and diced olives.


Bake in oven for 1-12 minutes.
(Watch if you like)


Let cool for 5 minutes.


Serve and enjoy!

Turkey Meatballs

What you will need:  
Meatballs

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup oat meal or bread crumbs1 onion or 2 TBL onion flakes
salt
pepper
flour

Combine all ingredients but the flour together in a bowl.
(I have pictures of this but raw meat looks nasty, so I spared you all and didn't add those pictures!)

Sauce

2 TBL sugar
2 TBL Worcestershire sauce
1 cup catchup
1/2 cup water
3 TBL vinegar
6 TBL onion flakes


In a bowl add the sugar.

The Worcestershire sauce, catchup, water, vinegar

and onion flakes.


Stir all of the ingredients together and pour into a saute pan.


Roll the meatballs and roll them in the flour.
Then add the meatballs to the sauce in the pan.

Place all of meatballs in the sauce and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. 


Rotate meatballs every 10 minutes. 


Serve over pasta or rice for a full meal.

Easter Egg Rice Krispy Treats!

What you will need:

3 TBL butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies
 1 cup M&M's
Large plastic Easter egg
Sprinkles: Optional


 In a large pan melt the butter on low heat.


Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.
Remove from heat.
Add Rice Krispies and stir until they are fully coated.


Put a small amount of butter on your fingers.
Coat the inside of the plastic egg with butter.
With the butter still on your fingers, grab a hand full of Rice Krispy mix.

Use half of the handful for each side of the egg.
Press the mix thinly along the inside of the egg wall.


Once the interior of the egg is filled and pressed,
then add the as many M&M's as  you want to the center.


Then close the plastic egg.
When you open the egg again they pieces will be stuck together.
But they still need to be formed a little. 
Use your hands to round out the egg a little to make it sealed all the way around.


If you want to add more decoration you can use sprinkles on top.
Make sure you do this as soon as possible so that the egg is still sticky.


We used Pop Rocks to coat our eggs. 
This gave them something extra when you ate them!