Marshmallow Pops | Simple Kid-Friendly Valentine's Day Treat

Easy Homemade Valentine's Treats : Marshmallow Pops

Aren't these cute?!  The same darling look of a cakepop, but so (so!) much easier.  They are fun to eat on their own, but also work great as Hot Chocolate Stirrers.  The best part was that the entire process took 10 minutes with minimal prep and clean-up... and Emma looovvved it.

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Homemade treats for holidays are my favorite thing - I love creating something pretty with my hands, it feeds my inner creative artist, and I love encouraging Emma to do the same.  Sometimes I'm in the mood to get the kitchen messy with her, get our hands dirty and make a day of it.  However, most of the time we need something simple and quick but still cute.  Yes, I could go out and buy something, but I just like to make things.  You might feel the same way - or you might think I'm crazy : )   

I've learned that these little quick projects are just as much fun for Emma (and me) and sort of an instant gratification project.  There is no prep, no pre-heating, no getting out the mixer, no flour or sugar on the floor.  There is pink food coloring, melted chocolate, dipping, sprinkles and complete 100% 4-year-old hands-on creating experience of making something cute.  It was the perfect after-school project to help us recover from a hectic day.  I'm trying to incorporate more of realistic and simple activities into our schedule, as part of my goals discussed on Monday.

Emma put these together while I melted the chocolate in the microwave.  She really liked the ones she did on the side - like a hammer... which, might be a fun way to "spin" this for a boy project.

Kids love to have complete control over a project - Emma especially loves anything she can do all by herself.  She shows tremendous pride and sense of accomplishment when she is able to have the reigns.  

More importantly, she experiences competence and ability - she learns she is capable of making something beautiful/delicious and it doesn't have to be purchased.

In this photo, she explaining how to do this - to me.  Confidence meter is very high...

Ingredients : 

Cute Straws (can find these in my store, here)
1/2 cup White Chocolate (we used Ghiradelli melting disks)
2 tablespoons of Heavy Cream
Red Food Coloing
Marshmallows
Sprinkles

Step 1 : Stick Marsmallows on Straws (you can also cut straws in half to create shorter sticks).

Step 2 : Melt the chocolate with cream in a glass container for 30 seconds, then stir.  Repeat 15 more seconds until melted.  Do not over heat - it will glob up!

Step 3 : Add a tiny drop of red coloring.  Stir.

Step 4 : Dip marshmallows in, place in glass and top with sprinkles.

I'm going to share some more "real life" easy projects for Valentine's Day overt the next week.  I'd love to hear your ideas!

Tiny hands came sneaking in while I was taking this photo...

And it was returned like this about 20 seconds later : )

Pink Stripe Party Straws available here.

If you are looking for something not quite so feminine, these Gold Star Party Straws are perfect for any and every occasion.

Finishing an Unfinished Kids Table & Chairs

This past Christmas, Santa brought Emma a set of tables and chairs.  I'm so glad he picked this particular set because I'd been searching all over for a children's table that would feel right in our new house.

I am not a big fan of factory finished furniture and it seems the Children's Furniture industry is filled with it.  I remember looking for Emma's nursery furniture and feeling like every nursery in America looks exactly the same and it is an easy hole to get sucked into.  I had held out on purchasing a pre-finished (options being white or pink paint... or espresso brown...) to hold out for something that felt old - but wasn't a rickety antique.  I'd hoped to find a solid wood, real farmhouse looking table that was scaled down for kiddos.

Santa did a great job!  However, I think Santa ran out of time during the very busy and hectic Christmas season and didn't get a finish put on the table. Or maybe Santa knows how particular I can be and knew I'd want to select the stain/paint color myself?

Emma loved it exactly as it was (as this was the way the elves made it) and was very reluctant for me to change it in any way.  After a little coaxing and promising she could help, we put on a Natural Walnut stain and a Satin Polyurethane finish.

I found the exact table and chairs Santa brought us.  They are almost half the price of the finished versions available at Pottery Barn, etc., but you do have to finish yourself.  It took Emma and I about 1 hour to stain, then I put 3 spray layers of polyurethane over the course of 24 hours.  It was very little hands-on time.

Unfinished Toddler Table

Unfinished Tot Chairs

This is the table post-stain.  Before I stained it, I did a light sanding with fine sand paper.

I brushed it on with a bristle brush and wiped it down to remove excess.

Spray Polyurethane (satin) is a must for any furniture that has turned legs or spindles.  Such a time saver and a much more even finish.  I recommend 3 coats with a couple of hours drying time in between.

Minwax Satin Poly
Old Masters Natural Walnut

These are the chairs mid-stain, pre-spray.

Now the table is all finished and lives between the hearth room and the kitchen.   You can see it is almost the very same tone as the big dining table.   It appears lighter in the photo, but they are almost the exact color, giving the room great balance.

Emma eats her breakfast here, watches TV, colors, paints, does play-doh and puzzles, all right here.  

The extra chairs have found homes throughout the house - this one Emma uses as a step-stool in the powder room.

This one is tucked under the counter for her to use when we're baking.  Instead of an eye-sore, the chairs add a little bit of charm wherever they are.  They work great as a step-stool for me, too : )

For me utilitarian beauty is all about making every single corner of your house functional and atheistically pleasing.  

So, just because this is the kids table, doesn't mean it can't be as charming and full of character as the rest of the house, right?

Emma's already set several tea party tables here.  I can't wait to set it for holidays - I can already envision the Thanksgiving paper turkey (or sugar cookie?!) placecards : )

Sticky Popcorn Cake with M&M's | Back to School

It is Back to School Season!  I've put together a Back to School Guide that will make the beginning of the school year more fun (and manageable!).  These make ahead dinners, easy breakfast recipes and simple desserts will get an A+ from your kids... and will pass the parent taste test, too!

Click here to go directly to my Back to School Guide!

 

Sticky Popcorn was another one of those recipes we were convinced my had Mom invented (like Pizza Bread).  It was melted marshmallows and popcorn stirred together to create and an ooey, gooey treat.  We would make it on Friday nights while we watch movies like Harry and the Hendersons or Adventures in Babysitting.  To top it all off, she would add food coloring to the melted marshmallows to tint the 'sticky' of the popcorn to pink, blue, purple, or green.  We thought that it was amazing.