Homemade Lollipops

A while back I was looking for something fun for Alex to do and as I was browsing blogs I came across a post about homemade lollipops. So I decided that Alex would like that and so I ended up getting some Jolly Ranchers and lollipop sticks which I already had and in about 10 minutes we had some homemade pops!

I originally found the idea over at Mess for Less . We only  used Jolly Ranchers and we crushed all of them up. That was Alex's favorite part (besides eating them). She enjoyed mixing the colors together and watching them melt together as I kept on the oven light so she could see.

Alex really liked the lollipops but Jolly Ranchers always seem to stick to my teeth so the lollipops did as well. I had to remind her to just lick them and not bite them off as they could get stuck in her throat since they are a little tough to chew. That in itself was quite a challenge because when Alex eats a lollipop she bites the whole thing and chews it up instead of just licking it.

The flavors were really good but next time I may try to use a different kind of candy to melt down. I'm thinking my favorite butterscotch candies would be just perfect!!!

Here are some simple directions:
- Separate the Jolly Ranchers into bags by color
- Crush them up with a mallet (I did this part and used a small  hammer)
- Put the broken up pieces into bowls
- Sprinkle the pieces onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in whatever shape you like
- Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes
- As soon as they come out of the oven attach a stick to the circles and turn the sticks to coat the entire stick with the candy (and of course and adult should do this part!)
- Let the lollipops cool and eat!

Muffin Tin Monday: Fish Lunch

It's Muffin Tin Monday and this week I am away at my mom's house so I am posting a lunch I did last week. Two weeks ago I was making a cake (see above) for a friend's daughter's birthday and I was doing a beach theme. Alexandra watched me all week working on cake decorations and by the time she saw the cake she kept saying "Mom I want THAT cake!" She has a birthday coming up next month and I am doing a Candyland theme and she said "After my Candyland cake can I have THAT cake???" so the point is...she loved the cake. 

So since I couldn't make her a cake I made her an ocean lunch (and added in some icing as water as a treat.) I made the fish using the fish cutter I used for the fondant cake decorations, and made her a jelly sandwich with cheese strips. Underneath I used little baby goldfish and celery and carrots as seaweed and coral. I tried putting this into a muffin tin but the fish just bent and was about to break and I wanted it to look like an ocean scene. So next week we'll be back to the muffin tins. But either way I think she liked her lunch and by the end she was dipping her celery in icing. Ewwwww.

For inspiration for your muffin tin lunches visit Muffin Tin Mom

Muffin Tin Monday: Camping Tin

It's Muffin Tin Monday and I was excited to make this week's tin for Alexandra. This past weekend my friends and I went camping at Cowan's Gap State Park in PA. Whenever we get together it is always a good time full of belly laughs. We went camping in campers so we weren't roughing it but I really enjoyed the camping experience. I hope someday to take Alexandra camping because I'm sure she'll love it!

For the lunch I put in items that represented my camping trip in particular. On the top left there are  bears made out of cheese. We went on a hike to a scenic overlook and according to the guide and previous people there was a chance that we may see a bear. But we didn't. Phew!

Next is my version of a pie iron sandwich - with two bread circles filled with mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce and cooked like a grilled cheese. We did ours over the fire. I had to make two as  burnt my first one to a crisp.

Next I made a graham cracker tent. We used a camper like I said and good thing too because the first evening we had torrential downpours, severe storm warnings, and even tornado warnings.

On the bottom row in the middle is a kayak made out of a hot dog (with Daisy Duck kayaking) and an oar made of a pretzel and marshmallows. (I got this idea from my friend Stacy who was giving me all kinds of suggestions! Thanks Stacy - great idea!!!!!)

Then on both sides...dessert. Table side S'mores. I had my butane torch handy (because come on, the microwave is too easy!) so I fired it up (as Alexandra sat back of course) and it melted the marshmallows and made a mini S'more!


This lunch was definitely a success - the only thing left was one part of the graham cracker tent.

ooey gooey S'mores! 

For more ideas and inspiration for Muffin Tin Meals check out Muffin Tin Mom!