How to make Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (Sift flour before measuring)

1/2 cup of butter

Toppings: Sugar, nuts and cherries

Steps:

1. Cream Butter
2. Add sugar gradually
3. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until light 
4. Sift flour again with baking Powder
5. Add to butter mixture, let chill for a half hour
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
7. Roll out dough very thin on a floured surface
8. Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes
9. Place on non stick cookie sheet
10. Decorate with sugar, cherries, colored sprinkles, or nuts
11. Bake for ten minutes
12. ** Watch closely so the cookies don't burn, remove before fully cooked as the will continue to cook sitting on the cookie sheet
13. When fully cooked, place on cooling rack
14. Serve while still warm and chewy

Tips**

• If you wish do not decorate until after cooked and cooled, then frost and add sprinkles
•  Freeze the dough before you want to use it, if dough is left at room temperature for too long it will become extremely sticky.
• Do this activity with your children, the will have fun mixing, and decorating the cookies. And we all know they will enjoy eating them after dinner.

How to make Jello Eggs

What you need....

• Egg Mold
• Jello (Favorite flavors)
• Hot water
• Measuring cup with pouring spout
• Cooking spray                  

What to do....

First open the molder and spray with cooking spray so jello wont stick

Make jello as directed on box, usually will ask for hot water

Stir until fully dissolved

Do not mix flavors of jello for solid colored eggs

* you should do one flavor at a time

Pour jello mixture into measuring cup 

Make sure the egg molder is closed tightly 

Pour mixture through the top holes until egg is filled

* Just fill to the top of egg shape

Put in fridge and let set for a few hours

Use a small butter knife to gently open the mold, and remove eggs

Keep refrigerated !

Repeat for other flavors

How to color Easter eggs

First you have to hard boil the eggs, which is very easy.

1. Fill a pot with water, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and a teaspoon of salt
2. Gently put eggs into pot and bring to a boil
3. Reduce to medium heat and let cook for 15- 20 minutes

REFRIGERATE AFTER REMOVED FROM WATER FOR AT LEAST 12 HOURS

When eggs are ready to be colored.....

1. Get six medium size plastic cups
2. Put 1 tablespoon of vinegar in the bottom, and add 15 drops of food coloring. (add 20 to 25 for deeper colors)
3. Add half a cup of water, and stir
4. Do this in every cup with different colors
5. Mix colors to get different shades

Get spoons, rubber bands, egg decorating kit (optional), stickers, white crayon, and paper towels.

Be sure to have your egg carton handy.

1. To start off lay newspaper or something down so you don't stain you working space
2. Wear gloves if you have them
3. Put one colored egg into a cup at a time and let sit ( the longer it sits in the color the darker the egg will be)
4. Hold egg half way in the color with a spoon or wire egg holder from kit to get more designs or patterns
5. Use the white crayon before dipping in color to draw a design
6. Use rubber bands to wrap around the egg, after the color dries and the bands are removed an interesting design will be left white. Or if dipped in another color it will look striped
7. You can use paper towel to lighten colors, and help dry them faster, be gentle though
8. There are many ways to decorate eggs and if you have kids it is important to be creative. Just have fun with it. 

After Easter is over, remove shells, wash thoroughly, and enjoy an egg salad sandwich 

Oreo Dirt

This is a fun and easy recipe to do with your family.

Delicious Dirt

Ingriedients:

1 Pack of Oreos

Bag of Gummy Worms

Instant Pudding of your choice

  or

Homemade Pudding:

2 tbsp or hersheys cocoa

1/2 cup of sugar

2 cups of milk

1 tbsp of butter

1 tsp of vanilla

2 tbsp of flour

First mix the dry ingredients including the cocoa, sugar, and flour in a bowl

Add milk slowly, put on stove over low heat

Continue Stirring for a few minutes then add butter and vanilla

For instant pudding, this is  a great way to get the kids incoorporated in the kitchen. Just let them make the pudding and set up serving cups where they crush oreos and make a "cup of dirt." Add gummy works and other gooey bugs to make the dessert more creative and realistic.