31 Awesome Birthday Cake Designs

Fresh from the pages of Parenting (visit: http://www.parenting.com/activity-parties-gallery/Activities-Parties/31-Awesome-Birthday-Cake-Designs) are 31 fun and easy to make cakes with pictures and step by step directions. Here's one, visit the site for all!

Ingredients:
5 sugar cones
2 Kids Cones (mini–ice cream wafer cones)
3 pink ice cream wafer cones
3 Tbsp light corn syrup
½ cup pink decorating sugar
1 (8-inch) round cake
1 (9-inch) round cake
1 jumbo cupcake, paper liner removed
2 cans (12 oz) whipped vanilla frosting
1 roll Bubble Tape
¾ cup Smarties
Orange and pink Runts
2 bags sour gummy Life Savers
2 rolls Necco wafers
What you'll need:
A serrated knife
A pastry brush
A bread knife
A serving platter or a cake stand
Craft scissors or a pastry wheel
For the turrets:
Trim 2 of the sugar cones with a serrated knife so they can fit, mouth to mouth, into the Kids Cones.
Trim 1 pink wafer cone, 2 inches from the base, for the top of the cake.
Heat the light corn syrup in the microwave 5 to 10 seconds until bubbly. Caution: Hot corn syrup can burn and should not be handled by children.
Pour the pink sugar into a dish.
Brush the sugar cones with corn syrup and roll in the pink sugar to coat.
Press the sugar cones upside-down into the wafer cones to make the turrets; set aside.
Trimming the cakes:
Using a bread knife, trim the tops of the cakes to make level. Trim the 8-inch cake down into a 6-inch round.
Place the 9-inch cake onto a serving platter or cake stand. Place the 6-inch cake on top and to one side of the larger cake.
Place the cupcake on top of the two cake layers and to one side, as pictured.
Decorating the castle:
Spread the cakes with vanilla frosting and make smooth.
Trim one long side of the Bubble Tape with clean craft scissors or a pastry wheel to make a decorative edge. Press the Bubble Tape along the bottom edge of the top 2 cake layers.
Press the Smarties into the circumference of the base of the largest cake. Press the orange Runts around the upper circumference of the middle cake layer. Press the pink Runts around the upper circumference of the bottom cake layer.
Cut the gummy Life Savers and Necco wafers in half. Place the gummy Life Savers and Necco wafers in a decorative row along the top edge of cakes (see photo).
Add the cone turrets on top of cake using the trimmed cone for the highest cake. Press into the frosting to secure.
Pour the remaining pink sugar on top of the bottom cake layer.

S'mookies!

Fresh from the pages of Parenting, a fun and yummy cookie recipe for the holidays!

From Christy Turner, mom of Luke, 5, Emily, 3, and Grant, 1, Tuscaloosa, AL (Makes 2 dozen)

Cooking spray
Peanut butter cookie:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/3 cups packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Filling:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1/2 cup marshmallow cream

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Mix flour and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.
2. With a spoon, mix butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture, and stir until combined.
3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and flatten with a fork; bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes, then place cookies in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
4. While cookies cool, place chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl; heat about 1 minute, until just melted. Let stand for 30 minutes, or until slightly stiff.
5. Heat marshmallow cream in microwave for 10 seconds to soften. Spread marshmallow on a cookie, chocolate on another and sandwich together. Store finished cookies in the fridge.

Other Stuff to do today

So, hopefully you've voted and possibly your kids are home from school today. Looking for something to do? Well, obviously you can shop till you drop at http://www.snanimals.com/ (and we hope you do!) But how about some cookies! Here's some easy cake mix recipes that you and the kids can make and enjoy today!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 package devil's food cake mix
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
1 cup chocolate chips
Preparation:Beat half of the cake mix with the margarine, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Add remaining cake mix, the nuts and the chocolate chips. Stir well. Drop dough from a rounded teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 10 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Cake Cookies:

1 box chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
Preparation:Beat everything together. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten slightly.
Bake 8-10 350 F.
I've started to roll these in white sugar before flattening them out and they are GOOD. (And fast.)

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 (18.25 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix
1 (18.25 ounce) package low calorie chocolate cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, stir together the dark and light chocolate cake mix. Add the eggs and oil, mix until well blended. Roll dough into 2 inch balls, and place them onto the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten the balls slightly with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.
To make the filling, beat the cream cheese and confectioner' sugar together until smooth. Spread between two cooled cookies.

Recipe for Witches Hats

BettyCrocker.com has some cute ideas for Halloween that are simple and easy and fun to do with the kids. Here's one for these Witches Hats:

Make this "spook-tacularly" easy cookie for Halloween parties or treats!
Prep Time:15 min
Start to Finish:15 min
Makes:32 cookies

32Hershey®'s Kisses® milk chocolates, unwrapped

1 package (11 1/2 ounces) fudge-striped shortbread cookies (32)

1 tube (4.25 ounces) orange or red decorating icing

1. Attach 1 chocolate candy to chocolate bottom of each cookie, using decorating icing.

2. Pipe decorating icing around base of milk chocolate candy.

The Best Macaroni & Cheese Ever!

Ann Hodgman from www.wondertime.com thinks she has the best macaroni and cheese recipe ever and she's challenging you to make better! If you think your recipe is better than her than email it to wondertime.editors@disney.com with beat this in the subject line with your recipe for a chance to win a Cuisinart stand mixer.

Here's her recipe:
Serves 8

10 oz extra sharp cheddar, grated 4 oz monterey jack grated

4 oz velveeta cubed 4 oz cream cheese 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

1 teaspoon dijon mustard 6 slices extra-thick bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled

12 oz elbow macaroni, cooked & drained 2 oz parmesan, grated

salt & pepper to taste 1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350.

Put cheese (except parmesan) in hte top of a double boiler & melt over simmering water, stirring frequently. Gradually add milk, whisking until completely smooth. Whisk in mustard, bacon, salt & pepper.
Pour into 9x9 baking dish, add macaroni and toss to coat.
In small bowl, combine bread crumbs & parmesan; sprinkle over the top. Bake until crumbs are browned & cheese is bubbling (25-30 minutes.)

Share your recipes here too! We'd love to try them all!

Fun recipes

My kids LOVE bathtub paints! Really love them. But they don't last long around our place, they like to use them all up! Some of them are harder to use than others so I was happy to find a recipe to make our own bathtub paints from http://www.recipezaar.com/:



Ingredients
1/3 cup mild clear Joy dishwashing soap
1 tablespoon cornstarch
food coloring

Directions

1 Mix cornstarch and liquid soap in bowl.
2 Pour into ice cube tray, filling about 1/2 full.
3 Put 4-8 drops of different food coloring colors into each


Also found on recipezaar is Jon & Kate plus 8's monkey munch recipe! Yummy:


Ingredients

9 cups Chex cereal (any variety)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1 Put chex in a large bowl and put aside.
2 Place chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter into a quart-sized microwavable bowl.
3 Stir the ingredients together.
4 Microwave the mixture uncovered for a minute on "high." Stir the mix again and continue to zap in thirty second intervals until it mixes smoothly.
5 Add the vanilla and stir.
6 Pour over the cereal while stirring.
7 Put combination into a 2-gallon, Ziploc freezer bag.
8 Add powdered sugar, seal the bag and shake until distributed.
9 Spread Monkey Munch out on wax paper to cool and dry.
10 Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for storage.

Fun ways to decorate cupcakes!

Cupcake Recipes for Kids
Fun Ways to Decorate These Favorite Treats
© Denise Oliveri

There are so many ways to decorate cupcakes. By using the basic cupcake recipe shown here, you will also see how to turn them into delectable creations.
These cupcake recipes are fun to make and even more fun to eat! Your kids will have a blast making butterflies and ladybugs. Let's get cooking.

Basic Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1-1/3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening, milk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape side of bowl with a spatula.
Add eggs to the mixture. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape bowl again. Beat on high speed for 1 minute 30 seconds until well mixed.
Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Butterfly Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Cupcakes (recipe above)
Vanilla frosting
Green food coloring
Fruit Slice candies
Sour straw candy
Skittles
Directions:
Tint the vanilla frosting by adding one or two drops of green food coloring to make a minty colored frosting.
Frost the cupcakes.
For the wings, cut fruit slice candies in half horizontally.
For the body, cut red sour straws in strips.
For the head, put Skittles at the end of the strips.
For the antennae, cut shorter strips of sour straws, snipping in half lengthwise. Place at the top of the head.

Ladybug Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Cupcakes (recipe above)
Chocolate frosting
Strawberry frosting
Red fruit slice candy
M&M Mini's
Junior Mints
Black licorice lace candy
Small zip-lock freezer bag
Directions:
Ice the cupcakes with strawberry icing.
Place the chocolate frosting in a small zip-lock freezer bag and snip off one corner. Pipe a mound of chocolate frosting in the center of each cupcake.
Slice a red fruit slice in half for the wings. Place on top of the chocolate icing.
Attach M&M Mini's to wings using frosting for glue.
Attach a Junior Mint for the head and two black licorice pieces for the antennae.

Fun Recipes for Kids to make for Father's Day

Well, it's almost here, Father's day! The day for father's to be celebrated and to take it easy (and to take the kids, right---almost makes it mother's day!) Let the kids get involved. Have them paint a picture or make a card. Whatever their skill level allows. It'll be a keepsake that dad can treasure.

Another fun idea is to have the kids help make something special for dad to eat. How about breakfast in bed?? Well, here's an idea that won't make a mess out of your kitchen! A fruity bagel that'll sure to please everyone:

Recipe available at http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/philly-fruity-bagel-110587.aspx but here it is:

1 plain bagel (3 inch), halved, toasted
2 Tbsp. PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread
1/4 cup sliced fresh peaches
1/4 cup blueberries
SPREAD bagel halves with cream cheese spread.
TOP with fruit.

Here's another fun idea for the kids that they'll love eating as much as making!! How about an ice cream pie. Nothing's better on a hot day than not having to use an oven. And what could be better than ice cream (and toppings?) Try this one out:

Using different kinds of crumbs and different ice cream flavors and toppings, you can create an almost infinite variety of super easy summer desserts using this easy recipe. Just be sure to take it out of the freezer for about half an hour before serving so it's soft enough to slice. INGREDIENTS:
1 prepared graham cracker or cookie crumb crust
4 cups any flavor ice cream or sorbet, slightly softened
1 cup hot fudge sauce or butterscotch or strawberry sauce
whipped cream
nuts
maraschino cherries
PREPARATION:
Layer scoops of ice cream with sauce in the pie crust. Cover tightly and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. Serve with additional toppings, whipped cream, nuts, cherries, etc. if desired. 8 servings

See it here: http://busycooks.about.com/od/sweetpierecipes/r/icecreampie.htm