Little Chef: Banana Boats!

Ingrediants:

Whole Banana

Mini Marshmellows

Chocolate Chips

This is a camp favorite that I forgot about until the other day when I wanted to share a special dessert with my boys! (plus it is EASY)

Peel the peel off one side of a banana and set the banana in a little foil (it kind of looks like a boat too). Take a spoon and spoon out some banana and fill it in with marshmellows and choc. chips.. Set the banana boat in a heated oven for 5-10 minutes until the marshmellows and choc. chips are all melted and gooey and dig in!

Hope my instructions make sense, ENJOY!

Shaving Cream Wonders

Okay not really a war but a great texture experience for your little ones! Simply squirt some shaving cream onto a washable surface and let you little one draw with their fingers. It is basically finger painting! It is easy to clean up and smells good! Any age loves to doodle and then erase. I didn't get any pictures because my hands were covered! Perhaps next time! Enjoy life exploring with your little one!

Carrot Baked Fries

So as a mom I am always trying to find ways to get my one year old son to eat vegetables. This was my first atempt at Baked Carrot Fries and it was really simple.

Coin, slice, halve, however you want your carrots (quanity depends on how many you are feeding)
drizzle with olive oil, enough to cover
add some Kosher Salt

Toss, put on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for 20 min. and done! I put my fist batch in for 30 minutes and they were good but a little burnt in places.

Dishtowel Aprons

Aprons I have made, super easy.

1. Start out with 2 dish towels.  Choose 1 towel as the apron bod and the other towel as the pockets, ties and neck strap.

Towel Body

1. Lay the towel out long way.  At the top corners measure in 4 1/2".  Make a mark.  Now measure down the side 11" and make a mark.  Draw a line between the two dots and cut of the corners on this line.

2.  Press this raw edge under 1/4", then another 1/4".  Topstich.

Pocket Towel

1. Cut in half lenthwise.  Cut 3 lengthwise strips 3" wide.

Make 3 Straps

1.  Fold each 3" strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.  Press. Fold raw edges in toward the pressed line.  Fold in half.  Topstitch along both long edges.

2. Sew one strap to each side at waist. (to reduce bulk at the waist seam, cut off the hemmed edge and stitch across the end to secure it before sewing.)

Neck Strap

1.  Pin strap to apron top and try it on.  Decide how log you need to make it so your head will go through the opening. (approx. 21")

2. Cut the hemmed end off the strip.  Cut the strip the lenght you need.  Stitch across ends to secure ends.  Sew to top two corners of the apron.

Pocket

1.  Cut off hem on short ends of pocket piece.

2.  Lay pocket piece across the apron to measure width put 1".  Cut off excess.

3.  The hem on the long side of the towel is the top of the pocket.  Turn both sides of pocket under 1/2" and press.

4.  Attach pocket: with right sides togeth, place the cut edge of the pocket toward the top of the apron and 2 1/2" up from the bottom of the apron.  Stitch to apron.  Flip the pocket up and press.

5.  Divide pocket into thirds.  Topstitch pocket along both sides and bottom and along the lines that divide it into thirds.

**Directions and idea from my mother-in-law who works at Roelofs Store, Sioux Center, Iowa.  

Little Picasso

This is a fun, and not an extremely messy way to let you child(ren) to express themselves and have lots of fun. We put down on old shower curtain on our kitchen floor (we have also done it on our balcony) then squirted non-toxic, washable paint on the shower curtain, take all of the little ones clothes off but the diaper, or you can put them in a swimming suit and let them discover the feel of paint, mixing the paint and just letting loose. You better make sure you have paint clothes on too. Please be careful to supervise, if your child is walking it is very slippery. If you would like to save their masterpiece when your child is done press a blank piece of paper on top of the spot they you or they like and make a print of it. Another fun thing to do is after Noah has walked around in all the colors of paint we have him walk on a piece of paper it is a really great footprint keepsake for you or grandparents!

Hitchin' A Ride

This is a fun activity I caught on to when Noah and I were in a Kindermusik class. This activity can be done with infants until 2 yrs. atleast. By 2 yrs. for sure kids can throw their teddy bears in and take them for a ride. All you need is a laundry basket, a belt, put a pillow in the bottom of the basket and tell your little one 'ALL ABOARD, THIS TRAIN IS LEAVING THE STATION'. Oh I suppose I should mention clear the floor of all other toys, blankets or what not. Anyway, Noah loves it and any time he sees the laundry basket he climbs right in. And trust me moms and dads it is a great workout.

Cheesecake Ball

16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. mini choc chips (use at least a cup and then see how that looks; add up to another 1/2 cup if it looks like there aren't enough) (I couldn't find mini choc chips so I chopped up some hersheys special dark chips and it was wonderful)
1c. powdered sugar
1 c. nuts (not in mine)
1 box chocolate Graham Sticks, pretzels, or chocolate wafers for dipping ( I couldn't find chocolate wafers and used chocolate teddy grahams)

1) Mix the cream cheese & sugar with a mixer until the sugar is combined throughout.
2) Fold in mini chocolate chips using a spatula.
3) Line a bowl with Saran Wrap & press mixture into bowl.
4) Cover bottom with Saran Wrap & chill overnight. To serve, remove bottom layer of Saran Wrap & turn bowl over onto a serving platter. Remove top later of Saran Wrap and put Chocolate Graham Sticks around cheeseball and one in it so that people will know what they are supposed to do. :)

**Submitted by Amy O.