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Holiday Things to Do with Your
Children
by Stephania Munson-Bishop
"How many more days, Mom?"
"Mom? Now how many days?"
The litany begins after Thanksgiving, and continues until Christmas Day.
If your children mark off each day on a calendar, all those blank spaces
until Santa arrives in his reindeer-drawn sleigh can seem endless. And
then they're out of school for the long holiday break!
Even the most patient Mom can have a difficult time keeping her 'cool.'
But here are some enjoyable activities to help pass the time more
quickly for your children.
Homemade Christmas Ornaments I: Mix 2 cups flour with 1 cup salt,
add 2 to 3 tbsps vegetable oil and approximately 1 cup water. Spread
waxed paper on table (tape edges to secure) and let children make stars,
Christmas trees, candy canes, etc. Bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes to
1 hour (depending on thickness). When completely cool, paint.
Christmas Ornaments II: Mix 1 cup applesauce and 1 cup ground
cinnamon (buy those jumbo containers at the Dollar Store, 2 for $1.).
Mix until it feels like clay, adding more cinnamon or a bit of flour
until it can be easily molded. Roll out to cut with holiday cookie
cutters, or mold into shapes. You can use a plastic straw to cut a hole
for hanging on the tree later. Let dry on waxed paper for several days,
turning every day or so. Your children will enjoy the sweet, spicy
fragrance of their original creations. If you cut a hole in the
ornaments, hang from the tree with ribbon.
Christmas Ornaments III: Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Sort several rolls of clear Lifesavers candies by color into plastic
bags, and crush with a rolling pin (red in one, green in next, etc.).
Using refrigerated sugar cookie dough, have kids roll pinches of dough
into strips, then shapes (circle, triangle, heart, etc.). Place on
cookie sheet and fill in blank spaces with crushed candies. Bake 8 to 10
minutes at 375 degrees. When completely cool, peel off aluminum foil and
set in Christmas tree branches. These are called "stained glass"
cookies.
Holiday Punch: Mix one gallon apple cider with 1 large can of
unsweetened pineapple juice in crock pot, with 1 tbsp whole cloves and 2
to 3 sticks of cinnamon. Simmer on low for 4 to 6 hours. Your home will
smell 'Christmasy,' and the whole family will enjoy a mug of punch while
sitting around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
Ice Box Gingerbread: Mix this recipe together, and your children
can bake gingerbread muffins on several occasions while waiting for the
Big Day.
1 cup Crisco shortening 1 ¾ tsps baking soda 1 cup sugar 3 cups flour 3
eggs 2 tsps ginger 1 cup dark Karo syrup 2 tsps cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg ½
tsp salt 1 cup 'sour' milk (whole milk mixed w/1 tbsp vinegar)
Cream Crisco shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well.
Mix spices with flour. Add Karo syrup, milk, soda, and flour mixture to
shortening/sugar/egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8
hours. Pour into greased muffin tins (2/3 full) and bake at 350 degrees
for about 12 minutes. Bake only as many as you need (fill empty muffin
tins with water). This batter, covered, will keep in the refrigerator
for 1 week.
Now It's Christmas Eve and your children are wild! Of course, you've
been saving the best for last. After the snack of milk and cookies has
been left out for Santa, it's time to make
Reindeer Treats: Mix silver glitter with dry oatmeal or other
cereal (and, if you really want to liven it up, add chopped carrots,
apples, and celery). Let the kids spread the 'treat' on the driveway,
the lawn, on Christmas Eve. After they're asleep, take a broom to the
driveway.
And this one's for Mom, so she won't miss all the fun on Christmas
morning:
Make Christmas Breakfast the Night Before: Your children will
think this is a grand idea, especially if you involve them in the
project. Here are two "chill in the refrigerator overnight" recipes to
choose from.
Cheese Brunch Casserole
1 ½ cups shredded cheese layered with 8 slices of bread, buttered and
cubed, in a greased 13" by 9" casserole dish. Mix 6 eggs, 3 ½ cups of
milk, salt and pepper, and pour over cheese and bread. Cover with
aluminum foil and refrigerate. Bake, covered, 45 minutes to 1 hour at
350 degrees.
Texas Breakfast Casserole
1 can Crescent Rolls 1 lb sausage, cooked and drained (or you can
substitute crumbled bacon or cubed ham) 1 lb grated Monterey Jack cheese
6 eggs, beaten 1 can cream of onion soup Line 13" x 9" casserole dish
with rolls, pressing together to seal perforations. Cover with sausage
(or bacon, or cubed ham) and half the cheese. Mix eggs with soup and
pour over sausage. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cover with
aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1
hour.
Gram hopes that these ideas have been fun for you and your children, and
make your holiday season a wee bit brighter.
About the author
Stephania Munson-Bishop is a human service professional with nearly 40
years in the field. She publishes a monthly content-rich ezine, "Tidbits
from the Pantry," about life, growth, and relationships to over 10,000
subscribers, and offers a free evaluation of life's problems to any
subscriber. Visit her site at
http://www.humansrv.net
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