Christmas Tree Brownies

treebrownies
Christmas tree brownies.  What a great idea.  You’ll need one box of brownie mix, candy cane sticks, green gel icing, and peppermint M & M’s.
1. Bake the brownies according to the box.
2. After brownies have cooled, cut into triangle, tree shape with a steak knife.
3. Break off the curve of the candy cane, and stick the candy cane stick at bottom of brownies for the tree stem.
4. Apply icing and place M & M’s on brownie.
Here are the Christmas tree brownies made by my 5 year old grandson and his 4 year old cousin.  Sorry about the glare, the picture was taken with my cell phone.  They had a great time spreading the icing and trimming the trees.  I used the colorful  milk chocolate M & Ms instead of the peppermint.  Making these treats is a great way to occupy children who are anxiously waiting for Santa.  My grandson was leary of leaving brownies for Santa, but I can assure you Santa will enjoy them.

What treats did you make for Santa?  Please leave us a comment, we may want to adopt your idea for Santa next year. 

Sausage Wreath Recipe

Mini Sausage Wreath


Mini- Sausage Wreath

Ingredients:

– Mini sausages
– Refrigerated crescent dough rolls
– Red bell pepper
– 1/3 cup butter
– Rosemary for seasoning
– ½ cup BBQ sauce
– ½ cup whole berry cranberry sauce

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to the temperature specified on the crescent dough rolls package.
2.  Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate at the perforations to create 4 rectangles. Press together the remaining perforations in each rectangle.
3.  With a knife or pizza cutter, cut each rectangle into 8 strips (for a total of 32 strips).
4.  Wrap each mini sausage in a strip of dough. Lay out the crescent-wrapped sausages in a wreath formation with their sides touching on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5.  Bake for 11-15 minutes or until golden brown.
6.  While the wreath is baking, combine the BBQ sauce and cranberry sauce in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until heated through. Serve with wreath for dipping.
7.  Melt butter and brush the butter on top of the wreath. Sprinkle with rosemary.
8.  Cut a red bell pepper into a bow shape for garnish.

Recipe courtesy of freefunchristmas.com

Kids Funny Face Breakfast – Part III

Welcome to Part III of Kids Funny Face Breakfast.  This is Eggy Face.  Isn’t he adorable, and he’s made with healthy ingredients that your little one will happy to put in their tummy.  To make this funny face you will need the following ingredients:

  • Eggs cooked omelet-style in a large skillet (face) – I will just be adding cheese to mine
  • Sliced ham or a sausage patty(mouth)
  • Sliced cheese (eyes)
  • Halved cherries  or raisins (eyes)
  • Halved cherry tomatoes (nose)
  • Clementine or tangerine wedges (ears)
  • Slice a smile into the ham or sausage patty

Be sure to check back for our future lunch and dinner meals for kids that we will be featuring.  They are adorable and appetizing.  Your kids will love meal time.  Be sure to follow Mother 2 Mother on the left so you don’t miss a post.

I have modified the recipe slightly with the raisins, sausage patty and tangerine wedges. 

This recipe is from the book Funny Food: 365 Fun, Healthy, Silly, Creative Breakfasts by Bill & Claire Wurtzel, and can be purchased from Amazon.  

Children’s Birthday Party Food Ideas

I found these adorable fruit ideas and just had to share them with my readers.  I actually made the butterfly slices shown in the last picture for my grandchildren’s birthday party, and the children devoured them.  They’re easy to make and make a statement on the food table. 

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Chicken Salad Recipe

The holidays are coming, and if your like me you will be entertaining.  This recipe is great for finger sandwiches for birthday parties or baby showers too. 

Ingredients:

1 Perdue Oven Stuffer Roaster
1 medium onion
6 medium dill pickles
6 boiled eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/2  tsp. pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 bullion cubes
1 30 ounce jar Hellman’s or Kraft real mayo


Boil the oven stuffer roaster in a  large pot with the onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder and bullion cubes until it falls off the bone.  Broth can be kept for soup. 

Remove the chicken from the pot and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Remove the skin and de-bone the chicken while it’s still warm.  Chop the pickles, eggs and a small onion to add to the chicken salad.  Place the warm chicken in a chopper and finely chop.  Thoroughly mix the ingredients with the chopped chicken in a large bowl by hand.  Next add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Add a little salt and pepper to taste.  Add in 3/4 of the jar of mayo and mix thoroughly with a spoon.  Chill overnight and add the remaining jar of mayo. 

 Spread mixture on party rolls and enjoy. 

Squash Casserole

Need to use up that squash and zucchini from the garden or that pile that you found on your porch from the neighbors?  You’ll love this recipe.  It’s quick, easy and delicious.  My garden didn’t produce an abundance of squash or zucchini this year.  I started an abundance of plants inside to get ahead of the season, but I got hit with vine borers and squash, but I was able to salvage a few for this recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3 yellow squash
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 eggs
  • 8 – 10 ounces of Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup of mayo
  • 3 tablespoons of melted butter
  • bread crumbs.

Cube squash and zucchini
and saute for 10 – 15 minutes along with the chopped onion.  Mix the mayo and
eggs.  Add the cheese to the mixture; blend well.  Drain the squash and zucchini
and add to a greased baking dish.  Mix in the mayo, egg and cheese mixture.  Top
with bread crumbs and drizzle the butter over the bread crumbs.  Bake for 30
minutes at 350 degrees
.

Follow my garden adventures at A Diva’s Garden, http://adivasgarden.blogspot.com

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Easy Recipes – Zucchini Bread

Looking for clever, easy recipes.  Whip up a batch of zucchini bread.  My grandson loves it with a glass of milk.  You can freeze it or wrap it tightly and put in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.  I make mine with walnuts, but if you’re not comfortable giving chopped walnuts to your little one leave them out.  I love indulging on the bread myself with a nice hot cup of coffee. 
Planting my own zucchini has been rewarding.  I blanched and froze several quarts this summer, and I love being able to whip up a fresh batch during the winter.  It tastes a good today as it did this summer. 
  • 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 cups grated zucchini
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and baking powder.  In a large bowl, beat eggs.  Gradually beat in sugar, than oil.  Add flour mixture, alternating with zucchini into egg mixture.  Stir in walnuts and vanilla.  Pour into two greased lightly floured loaf pans.  Bake on lowest rack at 350 for 55 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes. 

Chicken Wing Cupcakes

chicken wing cupcakes

Cupcake meet chicken wing.  American loves cupcakes and chicken wings.  A bakery, Coccadott’s Bakery, outside of Albany decided to merge the two.  When I first thought about the two, I almost got sick.  When I found out that the cupcake is actually cornbread topped with blue cheese and a wing I was more receptive.    

The owner said she was thinking about the Superbowl and thought what goes better with the Superbowl than chicken wings.  She said that she tried several combinations and was ready to throw in the towel, but decided to try the cornbread and blue cheese combination before completely giving up.  It was the winning combination. 

I checked out Coccadott’s Bakery, and their cupcake selection is impressive.  They offer everything from Sex N City to  Opposites Attract.  Why not a Chicken Wing Cupcake?  I love watching the Food Network, and I expect to see Coccadott’s Bakery on Cupcake Wars in the near future. 

If I lived near Coccadott’s Bakery, I would place an order.  Would you?

Chicken And Noodles Recipe



easy recipes

Looking for an easy recipe for a cold winter night?  I love to whip up a pot of chicken and noodles.  This recipe belonged to my now deceased Mother In Law, so each bite warms my heart and soul.  It’s easy and hearty.  I serve it with warm rolls, yum.  I’ve switched to the No Yolk noodles for this recipe.  It doesn’t change the taste, and the No Yolk noodles are  99% fat free and no cholesterol. 

  • 3  – 4 chicken thighs
  • 3  – 4 chicken legs 
  • 4 – 5 potatoes cubed
  • 1 package of No Yolks noodles 
  • 1 large (49 oz.) can of Swanson Chicken Broth

Cook chicken in just enough water to cover it until it falls from the bone.  (You should check the water occasionally).  Remove the chicken from water and cool.  While chicken is cooling, add the cubed potatoes to the water and cook until tender.  You can add some of the broth if needed.  Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and shred.  Add the chicken and more of the broth to the potatoes.  Season with your favorite seasoning; mine is Lawry’s Season Salt and pepper.  Simmer 15 – 20 minutes.   Add noodles and remaining broth and simmer until the noodles are done.  Enjoy! 

Hot Dog and Bacon Wraps – Holiday Appetizers –


Hot Dog and Bacon Roll Ups
  • 20 slices of bacon
  • 2 pounds of beef hot dogs, approximately 20
  • brown sugar

Take a piece of hot dog and wrap a piece of bacon around hot dog. Secure with a colorful toothpick. Place a layer of hot dogs in the bottom of a crockpot and sprinkle generously with brown sugar.

Repeat layering until all hot dogs are used ending with brown sugar. Cover and cook on low for 5 – 6 hours. Makes 60 appetizers. Great for a baby shower or holiday party.