Saturday, February 21, 2009

Mardi Gras King Cake

Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is on February 24th. This symbolizes the last day of feasting before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. If you can't make the big celebration in New Orleans, have a celebration of your very own by making this tasty King Cake!

Tami's version of King Cake takes the fuss out of baking by using frozen bread dough. Less time in the kitchen and more time with your family. Enjoy!

What You'll Need 

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
¼ c. granulated sugar
1-tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 c. powdered sugar
milk
green, purple & yellow colored sugars
tiny, plastic baby

What You Do

On a lightly floured surface, roll the bread dough into a 9 x 11 rectangle. Brush lightly with melted butter, reserving about a ½ teaspoon for later use. Mix the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle liberally over the melted butter. Starting at the long end of the rectangle, tightly roll the bread into a long tube. Shape the tube into an oval and lay on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Brush with remaining melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.

Once the cake has cooled slightly, hide the plastic baby inside the cake. Mix powdered sugar with a few drops of milk until a smooth consistency is reached. Ice the cake while it is warm. Decorate with colored sugars.

You can get a printable version of this recipe from our website, just click here then click the "print" icon!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is almost here. I went through FC looking for some quick and easy crafts, last minute goodie ideas, and some helpful hints for those like me that procrastinate. ;-) So here they are for all my fellow procrastinators!



CRAFTS

Fun Valentine Printables - Here are some quick ideas to print off and use as gifts, games, and puzzles. Ideal for the classroom or homeschool setting, but not at all limited to it.


Charming Valentine Greeting Cards - This Valentine's Day, surprise your friends, coworkers, family, and your significant other with the "look much harder than they are" homemade cards! These charming greetings are simple to make, supplies are minimal, and the designs are as flexible as your imagination will allow!


Creative Valentine Mailboxes - Every Valentine's Day, in classrooms across the land, children collect happy little greeting cards with their favorite singer or cartoon character from their fellow classmates. But what are they collecting those cards in?


Easy Photo Card - We all have them, photos of our kids that didn't make it into frames or albums. Well grab some construction paper or card stock, a photo and some glue and make this adorable little card. Give as a gift to Grandma, Aunt Lisa, their teacher, or yes, even Mom! Change the color of the card stock, and even the ribbon, to use this idea for other holidays, such as Mother's Day, Christmas, and birthdays!


Heart Flowers - If you are looking for a simple craft that is perfect for even the smallest of kids, this project is for you. A great gift for birthdays, Mother's Day or Valentine's Day. Change the colors to fit the holiday!


Valentine Crown - Make this fun and easy Valentine crown with your kids. Simple supplies such as glue, scissors and construction paper make this a great project for even little kids.


RECIPES AND GOODIES

Chewy Chocolate Caramel Bites - Sweet-meets-salty in these delicious treats that even the littlest hands can help make. These make great gifts and party favors. Bag them up for a gift that your Valentine will surely love!


Conversation Heart Cookies - It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without Conversation Hearts. We’ve created a way to express your feelings in a BIG way by making these conversation heart cookies. Don’t hold back…show your Valentine how you really feel!


Dreamy Chocolate Cake Balls - If you are looking for a decadent and delicious recipe that will look great and your kids can help make, then this is it. Rich and swet, these cake balls are a perfect gift plain or dressed up with drizzle.


Easy Chocolate Spots for Kids - These cookies are so easy, even the littlest of helpers can join in the fun. Ultimately no real baking is required, just some quick assembly and cooling time, and you'll be the coolest Mom in town!


Valentine Cupcakes - One of the easiest treats to dress up for holidays and birthdays is the cupcake. All you need is food coloring, cake decorator gel and frosting, and a little imagination.


See all the Valentine features here including crafts, recipes, articles, romantic ideas and more! See you on FC :)

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Coming soon!


FamilyCorner.com has entered the blogging world! While FC does have a robust newsletter as well as thousands of registered members on the forums, I felt the need and desire to create a blog too. FC has so much to share and it was a labor of love for so long, how could I not??

Please subscribe, follow, whatever your blogging heart desires and I'll be posting updates soon!