Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Blackberry Pork Chops Tenderloin

Blackberry Pork Recipe

Remember when we used to buy paper copies of recipes instead of looking them up online? This blackberry pork chops recipe was originally published in an edition of, "Cooking Light." We made it and it tasted so amazing, but it called for 1 3/4 cup of fresh blackberries, which are often out of season or very costly. Our version of the blackberry pork tenderloin recipe replaces the fresh blackberries with blackberry all-fruit spread and the pork chops with pork tenderloins. Of course, a garnish of fresh blackberries, if you can find them, makes a pretty plate. For a beautiful Christmas brunch, serve it along side blackberry cobblerEnjoy!


This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*


Blackberry Pork Chops Tenderloin



Cranberry Pomegranate Recipe for Chicken

Make Cranberry Pomegranate Chicken 

This Cranberry Pomegranate Chicken Recipe will fulfill your craving for holiday flavors without all of the work. The Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce is easy to make, and rosemary is the perfect companion spice. Enjoy!

Cranberry Pomegranate Recipe for Chicken
Give your Chicken a HOLIDAY makeover:
Make this Cranberry Pomegranate Recipe for Chicken.

How to Make Cranberry Pomegranate Chicken

6 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2T butter or oil
1 c. cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 c. pomegranate arils (opt.)
1 c. cranberry pomegranate juice, no sugar added
1/2 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 t. dried rosemary

Directions:

1.  In a shallow bowl*, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Coat the chicken with flour mixture.

2.  In a large skillet*, cook the chicken in butter or oil until browned on both sides. Remove chicken and set aside.

3.  In the same skillet, combine the cranberries, pomegranate arils (opt.), juice, vinegar and rosemary. Cover, and simmer for 5 min.

4.  Place chicken on top of the cranberry mixture. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

5.  To serve, spoon cranberry mixture over the top of the chicken.

-LISA


Recommended:








ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Winter craft ideas for Kids: How to Make Snow for Pretend Sensory Play in Ice Age and Christmas Village

Make Fake Snow with Wax Paper

This winter craft idea for kids focuses on how to make snow for your Ice Age Dinosaurs. In this DIY, you'll use wax paper. Enjoy!


sensory winter activities for kids how to make fake snow diy for Ice Age Dinosaurs
Ice Age creative play with Dinosaurs, Diego, and
wax paper snow activity for kids.
We've shared many sensory activities for kids, but this winter one is the cat's meow! So, I've been saving a a bag of snow since my Grandmother passed away.  I inherited it with a few pieces of her snow village.  A few years ago, I used store bought snow for my village, as I wasn't ready to use hers or risk losing it around the cats and little ones. This year, I pulled it out and dumped it around my village.  It was as remarkable as I remembered. Enjoy!


And then, it wasn't... 

The cat kept climbing in it spreading it all over the floor. During the holidays, I brushed it under the table to clean up later. Later came, I began carefully picking up the pieces preparing to place them in a baggie for next year, when somehow the glistening bits of fake snow appeared more familiar than I'd ever known. This wasn't fake snow at all.  It was tiny pieces of shredded wax paper!  I made a collage with snowy scenes around my house so you can see how natural it looks.



Make Fake Snow out of Wax Paper.
Make Fake Snow out of Wax Paper.
Ice Age Dinosaurs, Sensory Snow Play.
Ice Age Dinosaurs, Sensory Snow Play.
Make Fake Snow with Wax Paper
Grandma's fake wax paper snow village versus real snow
covered pine trees in the landscape.

Sneaky Grandma, surprising me from the grave. I hadn't realized she was so creative. One year, on my parents twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, she volunteered to get SILVER vases for the table centerpieces.  She brought them just before the guests arrived, and I was astonished to see plastic glasses of some sort wrapped in aluminium foil. Not her crafty-ist moment. It felt a little tacky for what I had planned, but certainly creative. 

And now, the snow.

What an easy project for your snow globes, snowman in a jar, I -spy Christmas ornaments, or just for an ordinary day of creative play with plastic animals or Legos.  We decided to play Ice Age with ours.  I'll save Grandmas, just thinking how she took the time to craft it makes me smile.




So, grab your wax paper.  Do not cut it. Tear it into tiny shreds and store in a Ziploc bag for your kiddos. So easy, so fun and perfect for SENSORY PLAY!  Thanks, Grandma!



What will you pretend?


Recommended Reading:

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books)*

Dinosaurs! by Gail Gibbons*









ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

What She's Wearing Wednesday - Christmas Fashion

Just walked out of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas with candy cane stockings and Santa cap.

Follow Me on Pinterest

Cinnamon Christmas Cobbler Recipe for Christmas Morning: Kitchen Kids

Get Cooking with your Kids with this Christmas Cobbler

This Cinnamon Christmas Cobbler is a fun, easy recipe you can make at home or in the classroom with preschoolers. Made with refrigerator biscuits and pie filling, you won't believe how delicious it is. Enjoy!

Great for building a CAN-DO attitude.


Cinnamon Christmas Cobbler Recipe
Cinnamon Christmas Cobbler Recipe.

This recipe is so simple. The biscuits are good with only the Cinnamon mixture, but add the pie filling and it tastes like real cobbler- maybe better!

Cinnamon Christmas Cobbler Recipe
Cinnamon Christmas Cobbler Recipe.



You will need:

1 roll of refrigerator biscuits
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon red sprinkles
1 can cherry or strawberry pie filling




To Make Biscuit Cinnamon Cobbler:


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Separate biscuits and place on ungreased baking sheet or place them in a muffin pan.

Arrange biscuits in a baking pan.
Arrange biscuits in a baking pan.

Brush melted butter over biscuits.
Brush melted butter over biscuits.

Melt butter and brush over biscuits.

Cinnamon, sugar, and red sprinkles.
Cinnamon, sugar, and red sprinkles.

Mix Sprinkles, Cinnamon, and Sugar, then sprinkle on biscuits.
Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes.


Place biscuits in the oven.
Place biscuits in the oven.

Heat pie filling in sauce pan over low heat until warm.


Biscuit out of the oven tastes like a Cinnamon Roll.
Biscuit out of the oven tastes like a Cinnamon Roll.

Place biscuit in dessert dish, spoon filling over biscuit, top with whip cream.

Biscuit with strawberry pie filling- just add whip cream.

Makes 8 servings, perfect for Christmas morning.



Recommended Reading:

 Cinnamon Crescent Rolls

Holiday Recipes*

Kids Creative Chaos Cooks Holiday Recipes for Kids to Make*



ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Our House...

The Night Before Christmas Poem: At Our House

We wish you a Merry Christmas! Hope you all have a Christmas Eve filled with warm memories and  stockings full of happiness. Here are a few photos from around our new house (old farm houseand a poem about our night before Christmas. 

We'll celebrate with a Christmas Eve children's service and then our older children and close family friends will stop by on the eve of Jesus birth for a gift exchange. Christmas day, we'll make the trek over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house. Enjoy!


The Night Before Christmas Poem: At Our House
Stockings hung by the piano with care.

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house,
every creature was stirring except for the mouse.

The stockings drooped from the piano with flair,

hanging onto their reindeer hooks with special care.


Droopy stockings on heirloom piano.
The children wrestled each other banging heads,
while double vision sent them straight to their beds.


Snowy day play! We were blessed with a white Christmas.
A
nd, Mom with her nurturing and Dad with his crap
Tried to settle us down with Angry Bird Apps.

When from the kitchen there arose such a clatter,

I stopped playing to see what was the matter.


Snowy Christmas Village courtesy of my Grandmother.

My small sister shot past me like dynamite
Knocking me into the wall causing a fight

Shattered glass and spilled milk were on the clean floor

And crumbs fell from kitty's mouth as he cried for more.

When what to my wandering eyes should appear ~



Oops, Grandma got tun over by a reindeer.

Waving his finger in the air, a red suited man
stood in a fog standing next to the trash can.

With his furrowed white eyebrows and crumpled red nose

I knew in an instant it must be St. Nick.

More rapid ranting than Mommy's his reprimands came

And he pointed and shouted and called us by name.

Now Jake, now Mayhem, now Tigger please listen...



Santa and the Misses.



Why aren't you sleeping? Are those bumps on your head? March up those stairs and climb into your warm beds.
A tiny tornado erupted inside
lifting the cat's mess and tossing it aside.


Talking Christmas Tree 80's
My heirloom talking tree courtesy of my Grandfather. 
He sings and scares!

So, up to our bedrooms sister and I flew
with thoughts of toys and fears of Santa too.

And then in a twinkling, I heard on the wall

the kneading and pawing of each little claw.

As, I covered my eyes listening to the sound

up the stairs my bad kitty lept with a bound.


heirloom santa
An heirloom "robot" Santa.

Santa cleared his throat and his belly it rumbled
He tripped on the cat and on the floor he tumbled.

The bundle of toys he had flung on his back

flew out onto the floor emptying his red sack


Bad Sad Santa
Santa Claus?
I s
nuck out to spy on old Mr. Kringle
His cheeks were flushed and his smile had lost its jingle

He surveyed the damage and gritted his teeth

And the cat, it encircled his feet like a wreath.


Santa Bunny got covered in snow.
Hey, at least it's not a duck.

Covering my face and trying not to laugh
I saw St. Nicholas twitch his nose at my cat.

He flew up landing next to the Elf on the Shelf.

And I laughed when I saw it inspite of myself.


Heirloom Antique Elf on a Shelf Christmas Ornament
Infamous heirloom Elf on the Shelf.

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon led me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word but went straight to his work

collecting the toys then he turned with a jerk.

And laying his hand under the kitty's back

he scooped it up giving its head a light pat.


Heirloom Antique Elf on a Shelf Christmas Ornament
Heirloom elf ousting the angel.

Shaking from side to side he gave a little laugh
And said, "Listen naughty cat, it's time you had a bath.

Instead of punishment, he handed me the cat

At least without our cookies he's a little less fat.


Lit Lighted Ceramic Christmas Village with Snow
Grandma recovered from her reindeer incident.

And I heard him exclaim as he disappeared from sight,
Merry Christmas to all and to me... 

A cat-free night!



Recommended:


Decorate Christmas Bags

Get Your Own Elf on the Shelf


Cranberry Christmas Waffles Recipe: Kitchen Kids

Christmas Waffles Recipe for Kids to Make

If you or your kids want to make an easy Christmas Breakfast for the family or Santa, make some Cranberry Christmas Waffles. These are super easy to make, and you only need a few ingredients. Enjoy!


Cranberry Christmas Waffles Recipe: Kitchen Kids
Cranberry Christmas Waffles Recipe: Kitchen Kids.

You need:

1/2 C. canned jellied Cranberry sauce

1/2 C. Apple sauce
1/4 Walnuts
Frozen Waffles or make your own 



To make:


Mix cranberry sauce, apple sauce, and walnuts.

Toast frozen waffles or cook your own according to recipe.
Spread sauce onto waffles.
Eat.
Say Yum and Merry Christmas!



Recommended:

More Kid's Recipes

Kid's Cookbook*






ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Kitchen Kids: Christmas Cranberry Muffins Recipe

Kids Can Cook this Easy Holiday Cranberry Muffin Recipe

Make mom breakfast in bed for the holidays or Mother's Day with our Kitchen Kids Cranberry Muffin Recipe from "Kids Creative Chaos Cooks Cookbook" full of recipes to mix and make with minimal adult supervision.


Kitchen Kids Cranberry Muffin Recipe from Kids Creative Chaos Cooks Cookbook
Holiday Cranberry Muffin Recipe. Easy for kids to make.

You need:


English Muffins

1 Can of Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Cinnamon 
Brown Sugar

How to make:

Toast Muffins in toaster or toaster oven.
Open the cranberry sauce and slide it out of the can.
Slice into thin circles.
Place cranberry slices on muffins.
Sprinkle with brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon.
Place in toaster oven or on a cookie sheet in a warm oven at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.
Serve warm.

Recommended Reading:


Easy-To-Do Holiday Crafts From Everyday Household Items!: Including Crafts for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, and Every Day of the Year!

Holiday Games for Parties

Countdown to Christmas Gift Advent Calendar with Toilet Roll Tubes and Wrapping Paper

Toilet Roll Cardboard Tube Advent Calendar for Kids

Make an Advent calendar from recycled cardboard tubes and wrapping paper. It is an Easy Christmas craft for kids. Enjoy!

How to make an Advent Calendar from recycled cardboard tubes and wrapping paper
Easy Preschool Advent Calendar from cardboard tubes.
So, we save our toilet tubes. Yes, I am one of those people (I save my jars too) here is a post from one who is not, it made me LOL. Just imagine the possibilities?

Jar lids make great messy spoon holders, paint mixing trays, and chimes. Jars make amazing things! When I was a kid, my Dad had a glass cutting kit, and he'd make all kinds of "fancy" glasses from jars. (You know, just like Waterford Crystal.) 


Toilet Tubes are even better. They just cry out for re-purposation. Do you like that word? I just invented it. There, now I copyrighted it too. 12/2012. Maybe, I can trademark it?  "You're fired!" Wait, what was I saying? Toilet Tubes and Cardboard Tubes = Awesome craftability.

So... we save our toilet roll tubes. Except we moved, and then we didn't, so I had to start all over. I barely had enough for 25 days, and they were all different diameters and lengths. We had fun, but it wasn't perfect. Remember, it's the fun that counts.


To make our Advent Calendar tree, we took an idea from something similar we saw on Pinterest and it sparked an idea.  You know, how that goes. Hmmmmm, very pinteresting. I wonder how I can recreate it to make it my own?  



Cardboard tube Advent Calendar Tree.
Cardboard tube Advent Calendar Tree.
Ow, my brain just exploded a little! I'm going to get my crafty blogging buddies together and make a contest. I'll call it, "The American Crafter" and we'll find something pinteresting and give everyone an assignment to make it their own and you can vote but not by phone- maybe just by comments. Copyright, Trademark, and Hashtag that please.

Digression


He digressed so often that it was hard to follow what he was saying. 


To turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument.


I do that a lot when I write on Sundays. It's my little form of meditation. So who's in? Are you up for a Voice/American Idol style Crafter contest? 


I'll make the winner a handmade, toilet tube crown with a fancy jar torch. (wink, wink)


What? You came here to make an Advent Calendar or a cute holiday decoration?  Here goes:


You will need 25 Toilet Roll Tubes minus the toilet paper, but I guess you could use the toilet rolls, now wouldn't that be pinteresting?


Tape or a Hot Glue Gun


Wrapping Paper or Scrap

(Yes, of course, I save the little bits of paper from the previous year that aren't big enough to wrap a package. They are so pretty, I can't bare to throw them away. No, I talk about hoarding, but I'm not really a hoarder not yet anyway. My cat is alive and well, The food in my fridge isn't expired, and you can walk through the rooms of our house just fine. Well, most of them.)

Construction Paper


1.  Cut little squares of wrapping paper and roll onto your tubes. Attach with tape.


2.  Decide how many will be in each row to taper to one on top.


3.  Attach the bottom row together with a little piece of tape inside the end of two tubes.


4.  Stack the next row. Repeat step 3. Choose to glue first row to second row or use tape.


5.  Repeat.


6.  Cut out a Star or Angel from Construction Paper and glue to top of Christmas Tree.


7.  Fill each slot with little gifts or fun notes until Christmas Day.



Recommended Reading:


Holiday Party Favor Basket Ornaments


Turkey with Fall Leaves

New Year's Eve Rocket Popper

Look What You Can Make With Tubes: Creative crafts from 
everyday objects






ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Kitchen Kids: Homemade Edible Snowballs Make an Ice Cream Snowman to Eat

Make a Homemade Edible Snowman for a Party: Think Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Want to make a snowman? This cute little guy is perfect for a birthday party or holiday get together. Just make ice cream balls and freeze them in advance. So, gather the kids in the kitchen and build your own eatable (edible) snowmen. Enjoy!




Homemade Edible Snowman: Think Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
Make a Snowman from Ice Cream Snowballs.

Build your own eatable snowman as a party activity.
Build your own eatable snowman as a party activity.


To Make Edible Snowman Art You Need:


Vanilla Ice Cream

Pastel or Peppermints (Soft wedding mints are kid friendly)
Candy for Decorations
Chocolate Syrup
Optional: Shredded Coconut, Powdered Sugar



Have a snowman decorating party with mini snowballs.


Ice cream snowman decorating birthday party ideas


How to Make Ice Cream Snowman Dessert: 



With a melon baller, scoop mini ice cream balls.
Place balls on wax paper on a cookie sheet and keep in freezer.
Let set for 15 minutes.
Remove balls one at a time and roll in crushed mints and/or coconut.
Serve 3 balls in a dessert dish with assorted candies.
Build Snowman.



  Ice Cream Snowman Kid's Party Treat Ideas 




Recommended Reading: 

Recipes for your kids to mix and make*




ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

9 Easy Edible Winter Holiday Crafts for Kids

Here are 9 creative, fun ways to make edible, winter holiday crafts. 

These 9 Edible Holiday Crafts are perfect for a New Year Celebration. We just adore the Hot Chocolate Ornament idea below. These winter holiday crafts are fun ways to play with your food. Holiday creativity abounds in the blogosphere. Which one is your favorite? Enjoy!

 9 Easy Edible Winter Holiday Crafts for Kids
 9 Easy Edible Winter Holiday Crafts for Kids. 

Edible Party Hat Craft for New Year's Eve Celebrations

Here are 9 creative, fun ways to make edible, winter holiday crafts.
Ice Cream Party Hats from One Charming Party.

Edible New Year Clock Craft
From Party Frosting

Hot Chocolate Ornament Gift


Edible Craft: Hot Chocolate Ornament for Christmas Tree.
Hot Chocolate Ornament from Craft Berry Bush.

Star of David Cookies


Star of David Cookies from TheChocolateMaven.com.

Piped Icing Snowflake Ornaments


Edible Piped Icing Snowflake Ornament Craft.
Edible Piped Icing Snowflake Ornament Craft.

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments



From JimmieWriter on HubPages.

Holiday Treats for Animals: Bird Seed Ornaments


Bird Seed Ornaments from Garden.org.

Edible Marshmallow Dreidel Craft 


Edible Marshmallow Dreidel Craft
Edible Marshmallow Dreidel from Celebrations.com.

Edible Marshmallow Snowmen Pop Pals


Marshmallow Snowman from TheDecoratedCookie.com.



Recommended Reading:

More Edible Christmas Crafts








ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)