I wanted to make a baby style Memory game. You know one that they could learn things with on a couple of levels–shapes, faces, names, etc., and that they would actually care about playing with.
Big bonus that this was easy, fun and inexpensive.
I found the wooden shapes at JoAnn Fabrics—.29 cents a piece. Be sure to get two of each shape if you are making a matching game.
I even found a little box that would hold the game when it was finished.
Print out face shots of your family–and friends that the kids are familiar with. Cut out the faces.
Seal the pictures to the wood with Mod Podge.
Again, remember to make two of each face.
Let them dry and store in a sweet little plastic container–like this one–until Christmas morning.
Now, I triple-dog dare you to sing both verses of “Up on the Housetop”-right where you are–right now–just for the heck of it. Go!
Finally–weather that seems to understand what December is all about.
So in honor of our new found snow storm…
I give you…
Chocolate dipped “Snow Peaks.” And may I just say a heap big, “Yikes.”
When I watched some fellow make these on the Food Channel, I expected them to be cute–pretty even and fun to make, but seriously, I was a tad unprepared for how goooood they tasted. And then to have them come in a dangerously discreet bite size—well…
Warning. Danger Will Robinson.
The reason the recipe tells you to store them in an air tight container is because if you don’t you’ll have your mouth full of chocolate every time you stroll into the kitchen. You better hope nobody asks you something cause they won’t understand a word you say. Busted.
Yeah, the recipe should have read, “Store in an air tight container and bury six feet deep in the back yard.” Otherwise, you’ll just end up embarrassing yourself.
But, what the heck.
Tis the season. Forge ahead.
Chocolate Dipped Snow Peaks
Ingredients
4 large egg whites–room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1- 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on low-medium speed with the whisk attachment until the whites become foamy. Add the cream of tartar and turn speed up to medium, beating until just fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, so it incorporates into the whites slowly without collapsing them. Once all the sugar has been added, add the vanilla and increase the speed to high, whisking until the meringue is firm and glossy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Place meringue mixture into a piping bag with a medium-sized nozzle attached. Pipe bite-sized “kiss”-shaped meringues onto the trays and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour undisturbed then turn off heat and leave in the oven overnight to really dry out.
Melt chocolate over a double-boiler.
Holding each meringue by the top—
ooooh…be careful here or your snap off the peaks—
dip the bases in chocolate so the bottom half of the meringue is coated. Let any excess chocolate drop off before placing on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Allow to set at room temperature – do not put in the fridge.
Once set, store in an airtight container. Give them out as neighbor treats…or…
Preheat oven to 225 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on low-medium speed with the whisk attachment until the whites become foamy.
Add the cream of tartar and turn speed up to medium, beating until just fluffy.
Add the sugar gradually, so it incorporates into the whites slowly without collapsing them.
Once all the sugar has been added, add the vanilla and increase the speed to high, whisking until the meringue is firm and glossy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Place meringue mixture into a piping bag with a medium-sized nozzle attached.
Pipe bite-sized "kiss"-shaped meringues onto the trays and place in the oven.
Bake for 1 hour undisturbed then turn off heat and leave in the oven overnight to really dry out.
Melt chocolate over a double-boiler.Holding each meringue by the top---dip the bases in chocolate so the bottom half of the meringue is coated.
Let any excess chocolate drop off before placing on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
Allow to set at room temperature - do not put in the fridge.
Years ago, a good friend gave me a sweet little ornament. The kids were little then and seemed fascinated with the tiny manger baby. I kept finding it under the tree, on the kitchen table and once, in my youngest’s bed. I decided that maybe I needed to make a few for them to hold and carry and love before my ornament was ruined.
It was kind of fun to make some palm sized babies so they could actually carry them around. I did have to take the one I had apart to figure it out–but it went back together well enough when I was finished.
All you need to make these sweet little manger babies is:
wooden beads–whatever size you want
wire–from floral wire to a heavier coat hanger type, to match your bead
a small piece of batting or cotton
a scrap of fabric
Draw or paint two dot eyes on the bead. Fold a piece of wire in half and slide the bead onto it. Bend the top of the wire down so the bead won’t slid off. I curled up the bottom end of the wire–into a wad–this will be the basic “body.”
If you want your baby to have hair–just glue some yarn or twine to the top of the head.
Now, wind a scrap of batting over your wire–so your baby has some fluff to the body.
Fold down one corner of a square of fabric–muslin, cotton, knit–whatever.
Run a line of hot glue on top of the head and at the ears and press the folded edge onto the head.
Fold up the bottom. Add a dot of hot glue–if you need to to hold it in place.
Now fold and secure the sides–first one and then the other–you know, like wrapping a baby doll in a blanket.
Once you’ve glued the “blanket” in place–you can decorate your baby or leave it simple.
Or you can glue your babies to the tops of pine cones and nestle them in your Christmas tree.
Either way, I hope you try these sweet little babies as a gentle reminder of whose birthday this really is.
