Easy Valentine Treats to Take to School

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, considering making some easy Valentine's snacks that the little ones can bring to school? Whether you are preparing them for your own child's lunch or as a special treat for the class, here are some snacks that are easy to transport and easy for the little ones to devour once they dig in!

Marshmallow-Popcorn Hearts are a simple alternative to popcorn balls. With this recipe, you can skip the Karo syrup and just melt some marshmallows instead! This quick and easy recipe works just like Rice Krispie bars, only with popcorn instead!

Popcorn Tin

Here's what you need to get started:

Easy Valentine Treats to Take to School

o 10 cups popped popcorn
o 3 tablespoons margarine or butter
o 1 10-ounce package regular marshmallows
o Red food coloring
o Red colored sugar

Directions

o Put the popped corn (minus the unpopped kernels) into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan and keep it warm in your 300 degree oven.
o Melt the butter/margarine and marshmallows in a large kettle or in the microwave. (Microwave: 1 ½ to 2 minutes, stirring once) Stir the mixture until it is smooth, no lumps, and then add the red food coloring.
o Stir in the popped popcorn- about half at a time.
o Wait 10 minutes or so until it is cool enough to handle.
o Grease individual heart shaped pans with butter.
o Press the popcorn mixture into the greased pans.
o Cool the popcorn hearts. Remove from pans. Sprinkle each with red colored sugar.
o Wrap each individually in plastic wrap- pink or red finishes it off nicely.
o Makes 9 hearts.

This one is a little messy, but for an extra-special treat, exceptions can be made to almost any rule. Take along a pre-packaged wet napkin in a zippered plastic bag to assist in quick clean-up.

Candy Apple or Caramel Apple Valentines

1 bag of caramels
1 pack of craft sticks (like popsicle sticks)
1 bag of apples or your choice
wax paper
cake decorating tool
Flavored icing

Melt the caramels or hard candy according to the package directions. Insert a craft stick into one end of each apple. Dip the apple into the melted caramel, covering it completely. Lift the apple and let it drip for a few seconds and then set it on the wax paper until completely set- about two hours) Use your cake decorating tool (or a plastic bag with a hole in the corner and a decorating tip) to write a nice message on each apple. Wrap in plastic wrap and secure the wrap at the top of the apple with a rubber band, leaving the stick exposed as a handle.

Finally, you can mix up these peppermint stars from a quick meringue batter. They make a tasty little treat that travels well in a lunch.

Peppermint Stars
Makes: 45 cookies
Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes

Ingredients
o 2 egg whites
o 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
o 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
o 1/2 cup sugar
o 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
o Red food coloring (optional)

Directions

1. Place egg whites in a medium mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Line two large cookie sheets with brown paper or foil; set aside.
3. Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form (tips stand straight) and sugar dissolves. Quickly beat in peppermint extract. Tint pink with several drops of red food coloring, if desired.
4. Using a pastry tube with a large star decorating tip, pipe cookies onto prepared cookie sheets (form cookies about 1-1/2 inches in diameter). Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let cookies dry in oven with door closed about 30 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets. Cover and store in a dry place. Makes 45 cookies.

Your kids will be delighted when you take the time to make these special Valentine's Day snacks for their lunches. After all, special surprises from those who loves us most are what Valentine's Day is all about!

Easy Valentine Treats to Take to School

Don't miss our other feature Valentine's Day Articles including: Healthy Treats for Valentine's Day http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/article-healthy-valentine.htm and Valentine's Day Treats for Work and School http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/article-valentine-treat.htm presented by Dine Without Whine - A Family Friendly Weekly Menu Planner.

Easy Meal Ideas For Side Dishes

Sometimes coming up with the main dish for meals is the easy part but what to have with it can be the hard question. I usually serve vegetables as my side dish and I'm always trying to come up with new ideas. Here are a few of our favorites.

Potatoes. Try twice baked potatoes adding milk, shredded cheese and ranch dressing. For kids using small potatoes makes these more fun. Another potato dish is to saute hash brown potatoes, either chopped yourself or using frozen hash browns, with onion and season with seasoning salt. Green peppers. Stuffed peppers with rice either with green peppers or using red, yellow, orange or green for fun. Zucchini. Chop zucchini in strips and place on a sheet of tin foil. Sprinkle with butter. Then salt and pepper. You can add other cut vegetables as well. Wrap up and bake in the oven 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stuffed Zucchini is another great option. Carrots. Serve carrots cut in strips with a dip, shredded in a carrot salad or glaze carrots with a little sugar and butter. Cauliflower. Steam and serve with a cheese sauce or bake tossed with garlic butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Broccoli. Stir broccoli florets with a Tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 500 degree oven 10-12 minutes stirring once. Create a broccoli salad with bacon pieces and sunflower seeds or serve raw with a dip.

Popcorn Tin

Serving a side of corn, green beans or tossed salad is always great also. These are easy meal ideas for side dishes that hopefully will fight the mealtime boredom.

Easy Meal Ideas For Side Dishes

Easy Meal Ideas For Side Dishes

http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com has kids cooking lesson plans to help you in teaching your kids to cook and giving them activities to explore and learn in the kitchen. You will also find seasonal cooking activities, kids craft recipes, easy kids meals and so much more. For more ideas on easy meal ideas visit http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/easy-meal-ideas.html

Baking Ham - How to Cook a Ham That Will Wow Your Guests

Baking ham might seem like a daunting process but it's really quite easy. The key is cooking time for a ham. It's not as long as you might think. Anybody can learn how to cook a ham.

If you've never baked one or if you have and wound up with a dried out, tasteless hunk of hog flesh you need to try this baking ham technique.

Popcorn Tin

It will guide you to producing succulent, moist and delicious baked ham that will Wow your guests. (Translation: Make your mother-in-law turn green with envy!)

Baking Ham - How to Cook a Ham That Will Wow Your Guests

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Selecting Ham For This Baking Ham Technique

Basically ham is just the hind leg of the pig. It's the processing that takes it from pigs hind leg to ham. However, there are so many processing methods that a trip to the grocery can be confusing.

For our purpose we want a ham that not only tastes great but also is easy to serve.

Check the labels in the grocery. They will show the water content. The lower the water content the better tasting the ham will be.

A ham labeled as "ham in natural juices" is best.

Stay away from hams labeled "Ham - water added" because they have 12 to 15 percent water added. Even worse is "Ham and Water Product" which can have as much as 35 percent water added.

Bone in or boneless? Well boneless would certainly be easier to serve but bone in just tastes better. Boneless requires more processing and it seems the more processing the worse it gets!

A whole ham tends to be massive-weighing about 15 pounds. So, for manageability, they are increasingly cut in half and sold in two pieces, the butt and the shank.

Whole hams have a difficult to carve around bone structure. That difficult structure is in the butt half. The shank half has only one bone to navigate. And if it's spiral sliced so much the better.

Whether half or whole, though, the differences in the best supermarket hams come down to what bones, if any, have been removed and how much water, if any, has been added.

So we have a trade off. A bone in, spiral sliced, fully cooked shank half ham in natural juices is my choice.

Baking Ham - How To Cook A Ham - Cooking Time For a Ham

Since hams from the grocery are already fully cooked our objective in baking for our guests is just to get the it up to serving temperature as gently as possible.

This technique for how to cook a ham greatly reduces the cooking time for a ham.

Gently raising the temperature to 115 degrees F. internally keeps the ham from drying out. When it is removed from the oven residual cooking will bring the temperature to between 125 and 130, which is perfect serving temperature.

So we're going to start that process with raising the temperature before it's even placed in the oven!

Leave the inner plastic or foil covering intact and place the ham in large container and cover with hot tap water. Allow it to sit in the water for 45 minutes and then drain. Cover it again with hot tap water and set aside for another 45 minutes.

Preheating it in this fashion means there is less potential for it drying out in the oven.

Another trick in this baking ham technique is to bake it in an oven bag.

The Oven Bag provides a more even cooking method allowing the heat to circulate within the bag shortening the baking time.

Adjust the oven rack to its lowest position and pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees. Unwrap the ham and remove and discard the plastic disk covering the bone.

Place it in the oven bag. Gather the top of bag tightly so the bag fits snugly around the ham. Tie the bag and trim excess plastic. Set the ham cut-side down in large roasting pan and cut 4 slits in top of the oven bag.

Bake until the center registers 100 degrees on and instant-read thermometer. This will take about 10 minutes per pound which is really a quick cooking time for a ham.

Remove it from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Cut open the oven bag and roll back the sides to expose the ham.

Brush it with one-third of the glaze of your choice and return it to the oven until the glaze becomes sticky, about 10 minutes.

Remove it from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Brush the entire surface with another third of the glaze.

Let it rest, loosely tented with foil, for 15 minutes.

While it rests heat the remaining third of the glaze with 4 to 6 tablespoons of the juices from the bag until it forms a thick but fluid sauce.

Carve, serve and pass the sauce at table.

Ham Glaze Recipes

This is the best technique I know of for how to cook a ham but what about glazes?

Glazes not only make your holiday ham look gorgeous but they also add additional flavor.

Glazes are usually sweet and are anything from just a brushing the baking ham with maple syrup to more complex mixtures made from sugars and seasonings.

A glaze should only be added toward the end of cooking time for a ham so they don't burn.

This baking ham technique will work with any glaze recipe that you and your family like. Give the technique a try the next time you are thinking of baking ham.

Baking Ham - How to Cook a Ham That Will Wow Your Guests

Take a look at some of the ham glaze recipes I have at http://www.pork-recipes-online.com. They are in the Ham Recipes section. I especially like the honey baked ham glaze. It's very close to the store bought honey glazed hams that cost a fortune.

Breakfast on the Grill

Summer time mornings are the best! The air is clear, clean and warm. Why not get out of the kitchen and cook breakfast outside on the grill? Food always seems to taste better when made on the grill and breakfast is no exception. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Traditional bacon/sausage and eggs and toast:

Popcorn Tin

Use the griddle plate on the grill. One with ridges that allows the grease to flow away and collect away from the food is best. Preheat the grill and cook your bacon/sausage and eggs just as you do on the stove. Toss a slice or two of buttered bread on the griddle at the last moment and enjoy your in house breakfast cooked outdoors. Because there is grease involved watch to make sure there are no fire flareups and remove grease as necessary.

Breakfast on the Grill

Plastic Popcorn Tub - 8.5" Square Specification

• * Reusable plastic
• * Easy to wash and care for
• * Nostalgic red & white striped design
• * Measures 8.5" x 8.5" square and 6" deep
• * Perfect for family night, sleepovers, etc. * Use over and over again!

Brand : I.Q. Accessories

Plastic Popcorn Tub - 8.5" Square

This large, reusable plastic popcorn tub will make movie night even more fun! Nostalgic red & white striped design with scalloped top. Hand wash. Easy to care for.

Click to see Item Offers Special Prices

Available Discount online Stores

Next is something a little more fun:

Place a thin ham slices in muffin tins, and top with a mixture of beaten eggs, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup milk, chopped onions and peppers. Top with shredded cheese. Place muffin tin in aluminum pan that has about 1/4 cup of water in the bottom. Cover the pan with foil and cook on low heat until egg is set. Approximately 45 minutes.

How about some BBQ fruit to get you energized for a morning walk:

Grilling fruit is very easy to prepare but there are a few things you should do prior to placing it on the grill. First make sure your grill is clean. You do not want the left over burnt bits of last night's dinner to be mixed with the fresh fruit you will be grilling. Firmer fruits like, pineapples, pears, apples and even bananas work best. They should be firm, fresh and solid so they will hold together will grilling. Leave the peels intact as it will also help hold the fruit together. Slice the fruit into large slices and cut the bananas in half lengthwise. After cutting the fruit soak it in water so that it will absorb as much liquid as possible and stay juicy will grilling. Completely cover the fruit in cold water and add 1 teaspoon of pure lemon juice to the water to help the fruit retain its natural color. Let the fruit soak for 30 minutes adding ice as needed to keep the water cold. Adding spices such as cinnamon to the water gives the fruit a touch of spice flavoring.

Drain the fruit and coat lightly with a mild oil or melted butter to keep it from sticking to the grates. You can also add spices such as ginger, nutmeg, allspice or cloves to the melted butter prior to coating the fruit to spice it up some more. Grill the fruit, on a preheated grill, on medium heat. Grill the fruit till heated through and it has the look of lightly grilled food. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Now that you know how easy it is to make breakfast on the grill. Get out the grill and start your day outside with a meal in the fresh morning air.

Breakfast on the Grill

Please visit grills [http://grills.lovethislist.com] to find more fun recipes and to learn about tips and tricks for electric grills visit electric grills [http://grills.lovethislist.com]. Summer is here and its time to enjoy your grill!

How To Decorate A Christmas Tree

This article is a crash course in how to decorate a christmas tree. Your first step is to choose either a natural or artificial tree. Keep in mind that a natural evergreen tree only comes in one color - green. Artificial trees however are now sold in practically every color of the rainbow. Just remember, whatever color you choose will become your canvas for adding more color in the form of garlands, tinsel and decorations.

Your second step is deciding which color schemes go best with what color of tree. Green Christmas trees, both natural and artificial, look best with primary colors such as green, blue and red. White christmas trees look best with a red theme, pink theme, a gold theme or a silver theme or any combination of the above. Blue Christmas trees look best with gold or silver decorations. Red Christmas trees look great with green or pink decorations.

Popcorn Tin

The third step in this course about how to decorate a christmas tree is about lighting. If you are going to buy a natural tree you will need to buy a strand of bulbs or diodes. Traditional strands of christmas bulbs come in a variety of decorative shapes and sizes including the vintage egg shape, tiny twinkling lights and rope lights. However if you buy an artificial tree you may be able to get one that is prelit. The prettiest prelit christmas trees boast fiber optic needles that give the tree a glow of its own. Especially gorgeous are the white christmas trees that boast fiber optics at their tips. These trees remind many people of angel feathers.

How To Decorate A Christmas Tree

The fourth step is investigating the types of decorations that are available to you. The most basic is the garland. A garland is simply any kind of strand of objects that can be used to circle the tree. You can make a garland yourself out of cooked popcorn, holly berries or candy. You can also use a long length of ribbon and attach bows to it. Of course there are all types of garlands available commercially on the market. Most popular are the garlands made of furry bunches of white or gold tinsel. Red and green tinsel garlands can look especially nice on white christmas trees.

If you are traditionally minded you might want to consider decorating your tree with glass christmas balls. These are either hand blown or created in a factory. Many of them are painted and decorated with glitter. You can buy these as globes, flutes, tubes and also in the shape of musical instruments, angels and other Christmas themes. However if you have small children, you might want to opt for the plastic versions of these decorative balls as they don't shatter if they fall off the tree.

An important tip to remember when decorating trees with glass balls is to place the larger ornaments at the bottom of the tree and the smaller ones at the top. This helps keep the total effect of the tree in a pleasing proportion to the decorations.

Of course, christmas decorations don't have to be expensive. You can make your own out of paper that is cut into the shape of snowflakes and other xmas themes. Candies (especially the candy cane), apples, oranges and cookies (especially gingerbread cookies) can also be used as xmas decorations. Red christmas trees look especially good decorated with white shortbread cookies decorated with glitter. White christmas trees look great decorated with home made presents made from tiny boxes wrapped in shiny foil.

Another decoration to consider is tinsel. Strands of tinsel can be hung from the branches to simulate icicles. One tip when hanging tinsel is to hang it in clumps from the edges of the branches. Hanging single or just a couple of strands all over the tree makes it look messy.

The fifth step when it comes to decorating a christmas tree is to choose some kind of tree topper. Commercially you can buy tree-toppers in just about every Christmas motif imaginable including angels, snowmen, teddy bears and of course, the Christmas star. You can buy christmas tree toppers that glow with fiber optic diodes that twirl, play tinkly music and blink on and off. However it is not hard to make your own christmas tree topper. Perhaps the simplest version is a cardboard star that is wrapped in tin foil. Sometimes the home made decorations and tree toppers have more sentimental value than the store bought ones.

The sixth step in this crash course on how to decorate a christmas tree is to make sure you disguise the base of the tree with some kind of Christmas tree skirt. This is simply a mat that is draped around the base and on the floor. It can be made out of shiny or velvet fabric or you can buy commercially made ones that feature xmas motifs in stores and online. Some tree skirts can be quite ornate, decorated with sequins and embroidery. However their original function was to catch the candle drippings from candles on the tree and catch any dropping needles from natural christmas trees.

Another interesting addition, especially if you are a Christian is to place a small nativity scene beneath the Christmas tree on the mat. You can buy Christmas nativity scenes made of wood, metal or plastic. Also popular is a toy train set that runs in a circle around the Christmas tree.

A seventh and final consideration when it comes to how to decorate your christmas tree is a practice called flocking. Flocking is fluffy white stuff, kind of like silly string that is sprayed all over the tree to simulate snow. This gives just about any tree a real 50's or country style feel and it is very unique to tree decorating traditions in the United States and Canada. However it is not recommended for artificial white christmas trees as the effect would be a little bit of overkill.

How To Decorate A Christmas Tree

For more information on Christmas trees, visit http://www.o-christmas-tree.com - a year-round resource for all your christmas tree and decoration needs.

What Is Tri Ply Cookware?

Tri Ply displays one of the worlds most popular and functional cookware concepts. Tri Ply is basically two or three different metals that are laminated or bonded together to obtain the advantages of the two metals in one piece of cookware.

The metals most often used to create this high quality cookware are stainless steel, aluminum and copper. This type of cookware is often more expensive but is very durable and conducts heat faster and more evenly. The two main types are with just a base or disc inserted in the bottom and on your top quality cookware the inside layer goes up the side as well as at the base.

Popcorn Tin

The most popular type of tri ply is stainless steel with aluminum. This type has an aluminum core sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel. The construction of this type of cookware starts in the raw material stage, with sheets and blanks. The aluminum is laminated between two sheets of stainless steel and then molded into the desired shape.The highest quality of this type is when 18/10 stainless steel is used to cover the aluminum core with 18/8 and 18/0 being of slightly lesser quality due to the different amount of nickel and chromium used to make the stainless steel. This type of cookware, because of how it is constructed is expensive but worth the money since it lasts so long. It is great for all types of cooking and most brands can go from the stove top to the oven.

What Is Tri Ply Cookware?

One thing to keep in mind when buying this type of cookware is that you can get the same high quality product without having to spend your life savings. There are quality cookware companies out there that can give you the same great product, made with the same materials as the top brands. Just be sure that you read up on the materials used and how it is made. The big companies know they are popular and will charge you more for their name so be careful.

Another type of tri ply cookware is made with copper, aluminum and stainless steel. It starts the same way as the stainless steel/aluminum kind but has copper laminated on the outside instead of stainless steel. It has three layers with copper on the outside, aluminum in the middle and a stainless steel interior. Copper is used for it's conductivity as well as the aluminum since stainless steel alone is not a good conductor of heat. The process of making this type of cookware is also expensive, a little more so than the stainless steel and aluminum type. It is better for the stove top because of the insulation properties of the copper. Copper does react with food and will discolor it and can even be toxic with some foods which is why most copper cookware is lined with tin, nickel or stainless steel. Despite this fact it is still a top quality product. Having copper cookware will also make a statement in your kitchen with it's classy look and mirrored finish.

As with all cookware products, as stated earlier, you want to do a little homework. Sometimes the big name brands are not the best buy for the money. You can look at what they offer for the price and compare. With a little knowledge you will most likely find a quality cookware set for about 30 to 50 percent cheaper than the big guys without compromising on quality.

What Is Tri Ply Cookware?

I have been cooking professionally for over 20 years and have acquired a vast amount of knowledge on cooking styles and cookware. I have worked with some of the most innovative chefs and would now like to pass on my knowledge of cooking and supply a lot of great information to you. Since I have worked with all kinds of cookware and cooking equipment I believe my knowledge will be very beneficial, especially to the home cook. I have created a blog with lots of helpful tips, cookware information and recipes. I have also created a website with top quality cookware and accessories. you can find it at www.onestopcook.com

A Guide to Celebrating the 10th Wedding Anniversary

Traditionally, wedding anniversaries under the 20 year mark are usually acknowledged only by the couple themselves, however, today it's not unusual for gatherings and celebrations to take place as early as the fifth year. The tenth year of marriage marks the first full decade of life spent together, and many couples are choosing to mark the occasion with an anniversary party, while others prefer to acknowledge the day with their own private celebration. Either way, ten years of marriage is indeed something special to celebrate!

Celebrating Your 10th Anniversary Together

Popcorn Tin

The actual time of year when your anniversary occurs will have a lot to do with your plans, as it's certainly much easier to plan a picnic or outdoor adventure in warmer weather, unless, of course, you're planning to celebrate skiing down a mountain or doing some other type of winter fun.

A Guide to Celebrating the 10th Wedding Anniversary

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For a quiet, romantic night at home or away in a cozy cabin, first do a bit of research online to find out what the best movies were the year you got married, then rent a few, pop some popcorn, snuggle up and enjoy the evening. Likewise, you could either make your own or purchase a CD compilation of the top songs from the year and dance the night away together.

Since daffodils are the flowers associated with this anniversary, plan a completely daffodil-themed day, which won't be difficult to do as a quick search online offers countless choices for gifts, party supplies, trinkets, jewelry, and many other types of daffodil fare.

Visit the place you met and take a long, thoughtful walk down memory lane, remembering how it felt getting to know one another, falling in love, getting married, and enjoying the last ten years of your lives. As long as the two of you are together, it doesn't really matter what you actually do, or where you go, reveling in the day is often all really you need.

Renewing Vows on Your Ten Year Anniversary

Renewing your wedding vows is an excellent way of celebrating any anniversary, especially if you are now able to have a different type of wedding, or have the honeymoon you always wanted, but never had. Some couples choose to write their own vows, a sentimental few words expressing their love for one another, while others prefer to stick with traditional vows, or a shortened version thereof.

In general, vow renewal ceremonies are usually done further down the road after the 20th or other "milestone" anniversary. However, it's really a matter of personal preference and many couples do choose to mark their 10th year by exchanging vows again, either privately, or with their first bridal party present amongst family and friends. Some choose to have an intimate gathering, while others opt for a full blown gala complete with decorations, food, drinks, music, and plenty of laughter and memories.

Gift Ideas

Here are some theme ideas for celebrating a ten year anniversary:

- 10th Anniversary Color: Blue or silver

- 10th Anniversary Flower: Daffodils to symbolize cheerfulness, happiness, and joy

- 10th Anniversary Gemstones: Diamonds, blue sapphire

- 10th Anniversary Gift (Modern/Contemporary): Diamonds, diamond jewelry

- 10th Anniversary Gift (Traditional): Tin or aluminum to symbolize flexibility and malleability

Gifts could include any decorative item made from tin or aluminum, which would stand for the durability of the relationship, paying tribute to successfully withstanding the first ten years of marriage. Personalized items abound made from both tin and aluminum including paper weights, decorative wall scones and candle holders, or anything related to the daffodil. A simple picture of the daffodil in a tin frame would be the perfect 10th wedding anniversary gift.

As for gifts for each other, couples could choose from any number of dazzling pieces of blue sapphire or diamond jewelry, including bracelets, necklaces, pins, and rings.

A 10 Year Wedding Anniversary Party

When hosting or planning a 10 year anniversary party, keep in mind the previous symbols and colors when choosing the decorations and invitations.

Daffodils could be easily incorporated into the theme of the party, and while you may have trouble finding some that are reasonably priced if they're out of season in your area, craft stores are filled with realistic looking faux flowers and with a bit of imagination and creativity, the possibilities are endless to create many beautiful decorations. The colors silver and blue combine together wonderfully and represent the gemstones associated with the ten year anniversary; diamonds and blue sapphires, symbolizing durability and strength.

Some couples may feel uncomfortable at the thought of receiving gifts for their anniversary, if this is the case, simply request on the invitation that no gifts be given, and that all of the guests simply sharing in your special day is all the gift you need.

Another great idea is to request that in lieu of gifts and presents for the couple, guests should make a donation to a certain charity, or a specific one of their choice. This allows couples to celebrate their good fortune on their anniversary by spreading the love and wealth with others.

A Guide to Celebrating the 10th Wedding Anniversary

Author: Bennetta Elliott CEO of Personalized Gift Express, a great resource for Wedding & Anniversary favors and personalized gift ideas.

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Large Round Paper Pastry Baking Cup Layer Cake Liners ~ Perfect for Cookies ~ Candies ~ Holiday Breads ~ Fruit Cakes ~ Homebaked Gift Giving ~ Size: 5 3/4" Base, 1 1/2" Wall, (Total Size = 8 3/4" Circles) ~ 100 Count Papers Specification

• Large Size: Base 5 1/2", Sides 1 1/2"
• Flattened Size: 8 1/2" Circles
• Perfect size for gift giving for everyone
• Use for cakes, breads, cookies, candies, popcorn,
• brownies, bar cookies, granola, etc.

Brand : James River

Large Round Paper Pastry Baking Cup Layer Cake Liners ~ Perfect for Cookies ~ Candies ~ Holiday Breads ~ Fruit Cakes ~ Homebaked Gift Giving ~ Size: 5 3/4" Base, 1 1/2" Wall, (Total Size = 8 3/4" Circles) ~ 100 Count Papers

Perfect for gift giving. Use to line those gift tins and fill with your home baked goodies. Bake your favorite cake or bread recipe right in the paper liners. Easy to transfer from baking pan to gift tin with very little clean up. Great for cookies and candies as well.

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Holiday Gift Giving: Recipes for Homemade Christmas Trail Mixes

Homemade Christmas trail mix is the perfect stocking stuffer, teacher gift, mailman gift, or family gift. Trail mix recipes vary in specific ingredients, but generally they contain cereal, nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, and at times, small candies like M&M's or Heath Bits.

It's easy to make up large batches of trail mix at one time, which means you can make plenty for everyone on your list in one day. It's much easier than baking and is a nice switch from the traditional cookies and fruitcake.

Popcorn Tin

Package your homemade trail mix in tins, cellophane bags, or small paint cans for an interesting and fun presentation. Add a small card with all of the ingredients listed, just in case you're not sure about potential allergies.

Holiday Gift Giving: Recipes for Homemade Christmas Trail Mixes

Nordic Ware 3D Christmas Tree Pan Specification

• Festive addition to any table
• Easy to decorate
• Nonstick coating for easy food release and cleanup
• Hand wash with mild detergent
• Made in the USA

Brand : Nordic Ware

Our Price : $29.99
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Nordic Ware 3D Christmas Tree Pan

The 3-D Christmas Tree cake pan is a must for the Holiday season. Create a dramatic 10 inch tall, stand-up Christmas tree to celebrate the season. Simply bake the two halves of the cake, then press them together with icing. for a festive finish, add a snowfall of confectioners sugar or decorate the cake with frosting and colorful candies. Durable cast aluminum construction ensures sharp, rich detail and uniform baking. When sprinkled with powdered sugar, the detail of the tree and ornaments will shine through. A premium non-stick interior provides quick release and easy clean up. 9 cup capacity. The Nordic Ware 3-D Christmas tree pan measures 12 x 11.5 x 3. Includes recipe. Three dimensional--Stands on its own. Proudly made in the USA by Nordic Ware.

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Homemade Christmas Trail Mix Recipes

Christmas Tree Trail Mix

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a jellyroll pan or cookie sheet with sides. Also, grease the sides of a large bowl. Set aside.

8 cups popcorn

1 cup walnuts, toasted

1/3 cup real maple syrup

teaspoon cinnamon

teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of baking soda

1 cup dried cranberries

Pop the popcorn according to the directions. Mix the toasted walnuts and popcorn together in the prepared bowl.

In a saucepan, combine the syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Set to medium heat and allow the mixture to come to a boil and let it cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the baking soda and blend well (the mixture should have a creamy consistency).

Let the mixture cool slightly and then pour it all over the popcorn and nuts. Make sure the popcorn and nuts are thoroughly covered.

Turn everything out onto the prepared cookie sheet and distribute evenly. Bake for 15 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit or until the mix is 'dry'. Cool for 20 minutes. Add the cranberries last.

Christmas Party Trail Mix

Yogurt covered raisins or pretzels

Peanuts, walnuts, or your favorite nut

Almonds

Chopped dates

Yellow raisins

Dried oranges, cranberries, or apricots

Corn Chex cereal

Toss all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix. Take the entire bowl to the office Christmas party or divide it up into smaller containers to give as gifts to family and friends. Easy and delicious!

Holiday Snack Mix

Dry cereal - your choice

M&M's, Heath Bits, or your choice of small candy

Raisins

Dried fruit - apples, bananas, apricots, cranberries, etc.

Granola or oat bran

Chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or white chips

Mini marshmallows

Pretzels

Toss the ingredients together and then divide into mason jars, tins, coffee can, or any other interesting container idea that comes to you.

Packaging Your Presents

Keep an eye out all year at garage sales, dollar stores and sales at World Market to find interesting containers and canning jars to store and gift your recipes. Add a bow or ribbon and the recipe and I'm sure the recipients will appreciate such an attractive and tasty gift.

Trail mix is so easy to make at home! The colors and textures are fantastic from a presentation standpoint too. Try different methods and ingredients in your trail mix and maybe you'll come up with your very own version of homemade Christmas trail mix. Serve it at family functions, give as gifts, or munch on it while you make your homemade Christmas cards. No matter how you serve it, trail mix is the perfect gift.

Holiday Gift Giving: Recipes for Homemade Christmas Trail Mixes

Shellie Gardner is the owner of Christmas Light source, a great place to find Christmas Lights. Christmas Light Source is a one stop shopping website for all your Christmas lighting needs. From traditional to LED lights to hardware and every thing in between, they have everything for holiday lighting decor as well as tips, tricks, videos and do it yourself projects.

34 Fun School Carnival Game Ideas

1. The Beauty Salon was a popular booth at our Fall Carnival. The boys and girls loved getting their hair colored, blue, green, pink!

2. Karaoke was also very popular this year!

Popcorn Tin

3. About three years ago, our room moms rented an electonic bull. (I can't think of the right name!) The line never ended! The kids and adults loved it!

34 Fun School Carnival Game Ideas

EMPTY Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Popcorn Tin Can Storage Container - 9 1/2 inches tall x 9 inches in diameter Specification

• 9 1/2 inches tall x 9 inches in diameter
• Container has some dents and scratches
• Container is EMPTY

Brand : Smartbuy

EMPTY Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Popcorn Tin Can Storage Container - 9 1/2 inches tall x 9 inches in diameter

EMPTY Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Popcorn Tin Can Storage Container - 9 1/2 inches tall x 9 inches in diameter

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recommend items for this season

4. My sons' school has a Kissing Booth. They didn't get actual kisses, but they did give you a Hershey's Kiss instead. They also have a lips stamp, and they stamp your face with it! And you see TONS of kids running around their carnival with several kisses! Very cute!

5. We played "Bingo for Books" in the media center.

6. Snack Walk (like a cake walk but kids picked out bags of chips, a box of Little Debbies, bag of cookies, 2 liter bottle of soda, etc

7. We also auctioned off Janitor-, Principal- and Librarian- for-a-day. Those were very popular. (Janitor brought in the most!)

8. We have done Super Twister with dots painted on a large piece of tarp that got taped to the floor with everyone trying to touch the correct color with the correct body part. Ours is big enough that 30+ kids can play at a time.

9. A popular game at our school's carnival was the football toss. Rings were hung from the ceiling (beginning with rings the size of a hula-hoop) and you would try to throw a football through a ring. The smaller the ring, the higher the points.

10. Hit the Teacher With a Wet Sponge. Hugely popular, even with the parents.

11. Bubble-gum Blowing Contest: Popular because gum's usually a no-no.

12. Advanced Spelling Bee- Allowed students to take steps toward prize board if correct; end of the line if missed.

13. Dress up the Teacher: Hit garage sales and the Good Will for outrageous items to dress a teacher. Tie this in with problem solving/ academics standardized test review...use a digital camera to photo results as keep sake.

14. A few years back we had a carnival and one big seller was the "Loonie " Jars (here in Canada we call our dollar a Loonie. ) We asked families to donate jars filled with items - such as packs of gum, small toys, marbles, pencils, - you name it, people filled them. We had over 400 donated. Then people drew a number from a basket and that was the jar they got.

15. We just had our carnival on Thursday and Friday, and I teach third grade. This year we did the toy walk (played just like the cake walk). We used small inexpensive toys (.00 limit) the kids brought in and also got some happy meal toys donated from McDonald's. Another one we did was the Wii game. The kids loved it!!!

16. We do a "Great Pumpkin Obstacle Race" where the student dresses up like a great pumpkin (we use my orange hunting coat, hat, and gloves) then they go through tires, over hay bales, and weave through pumpkins. The kids love it!

17. Last year at our fall festival we had a duck race. You set up a small pool and get the little bath ducks. You also need squirt guns. The students "race" their ducks using the spray from the squirt guns to make them go. It was really fun!

18. We had a carnival many years ago and the booth that was the biggest hit, was the engraving booth. We ordered necklaces from Oriental Trading and had one of those hand held engraving machines and wrote the kids names on them. It was quick and easy.

19. A parent built a Plinko board that travels from grade to grade with his son - it's the most popular item at the fair. We have a stage in our gym so kids stand on the stage to drop the Plinko disks.

20. The Fortune Teller booth is our most popular one.

21. Mystery boxes- boxes with holes that the kids put their hands into- had peeled grapes, cold spaghetti, jello with fruit. We gave each one a scary name.

22. Guess the weight of a big pumpkin.

23. We sold plastic gloves filled with popcorn. Each "hand" had a spider ring on the finger.

24. Musical Chairs with Stuffed Animals. Before the carnival, collect stuffed animals (kids can donate these by the arm loads). Put them in a pile in the center of the room. Place chairs in a circle around the stuffed animals. put numbers under the chairs. Play music for a minute. Have kids sit. Draw a number. Winner picks a stuffed animal.

25. What about sand art? The kids love it! You can get supplies on line, such as small plastic bottles and bracelets. Use salt dyed with food coloring for the sand.

26. Another idea is to make a box maze in your classroom. It could be a crawl through. Maybe kids could solve a puzzle along the way.

27. Guessing contests are fun. Decorate clear glass jars and fill with what ever. Lollipops, M&M's, individual wrapped candies, pretzels, dry beans might add a soup making recipe, so that it shows on the outside of the jar. Here again have different people bring a decorated jar full of something and have them count and put on a folded paper on the underside of the jar lid the number of items in the jar. Only one prize per winner and of coarse family members can't win their jar. The more jars the more winners. Any size jar will work - jelly jars, gallon jars, miracle whip jars and etc. Decorating is fun. Example one person completely covered the jar with wrapping paper and put 1 bag of candy in the jar, so the correct guess was one. Stick on stickers. Make a puff top on the lid. Glue on lace. Tape a pattern on the inside of the jar and use enamel paint and paint the design on the outside of the jar and maybe outline with permanent fabric paint. The outline isn't necessary, but adds an extra nice touch. Don't forget to remove your pattern when complete.

28. Fluky Ball: Set up an easel with a bucket below. Child must bounce a ball off the easel into the bucket to win.

29. Tin Pan Alley: child rolls a ball down a ramp. At the bottom there is a box with 2 muffin tins painted with 3 different colors. The child rolls 3 balls. If 2 colors match, you win.

30. A great carnival idea is do offer a DINO DIG! Take a baby swimming pool, fill it with sand and small plastic dinosaurs (oriental trading has them cheap) give the kids a small shovel to dig for their dino. We also do digging for diamonds! Girls love finding little rings and such in the sand.

31. Pumpkin Ring Toss. We get donations from the local nurseries for pumpkins, hay bales, corn stalks, gourds, etc. We take about ten of the larger stemed pumpkins and use them as the targets for the rong toss. I found wooden hoops at the local fabric store.

32. Gourd Bowling. I purchased a set of those plastic children pins and then used some of the gourds from the nurseries. The gourds roll funny so it makes it more fun.

33. Ping-Pong Ball Toss. We purchased ten of the plastic pumpkin trick-or-treat containers that the kids use and had them placed as the target. I had a half dozen or so orange ping-pong balls that the kids have to toss in.

34. One of my favorite games is "Chicken Chucking". Get a few rubber chickens and set up an area that people can throw them into a pen (rubber maid bin) I place mine about 30 feet away and at 40 feet away. Its hilarious watching everyone throw it. When I did it at my church I found some real cute rubber chicken key chains to give away to the people that made it into the 40 feet away pen.

34 Fun School Carnival Game Ideas

Would you like to learn more about school fundraising and how to make more money at your school carnival? Visit EverybodyHatesFundraising.com for a series of free articles and the excellent e-book School Carnival Money Making Guide . Jim Berigan is a former elementary school administrator and has been involved with non-profit fundraising for over 20 years. He enjoys sharing advice, strategies, and tips on how schools can raise money without frustrating parents, children, and teachers.