Gumdrop Apple Turkeys - Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Almost Thanksgiving! What a fantastic holiday, food and family all together!

I love this craft to keep kids entertained when the grown ups are all talking...boring. This is fun for all ages, it's edible, it's halfway healthy and you can get creative. All you need are some apples, toothpicks, gumdrops, marshmallows. You could use raisins for the eyes if you like or use these edible markers that are great on all kinds of food projects. Or any other creative turkey parts you can think of (you could even use construction paper and just apples).

We do this craft on Thanksgiving and everyone enjoys putting their "spin" on the turkey, see some of these...

You can see the edible markers used in the center turkey on the marshmallows. I've also seen people use healthier options to create their turkeys. You could use cherry tomatoes or grapes, but I think the gumdrops are colorful and a red one can be smushed into the waddle to hang down from their heads. They are so sticky, you just need to press it on to the marshmallow.

Let the kids run wild with their imaginations and creations. All the while you can have a history lesson when sharing how the ugly humble turkey could have been our National Bird if Benjamin Franklin had his way. Move over Bald Eagle, the turkey is in town!

Russian Tea

I have no idea why my family calls this recipe "Russian Tea", but I love this hot drink. During the wintertime I drink tons of hot tea with some coffee and hot chocolate thrown in for variety. This drink is another one of my varieties that gets in the mix. It's based on instant tea and Tang (I use a generic version). This also makes a great gift for someone when stored in a pretty container much like the hot chocolate cones I posted here. And who doesn't love getting a gift in a jar? I think giving consumable gifts is a great thing to do and food is always welcome. Check out my other gift posts for more ideas.

Russian Tea

2 1/2 c instant orange drink

1 c sugar or splenda

1/2 c instant tea

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp allspice (optional)

Mix all the powders and spices in a large bowl and store in an airtight container. Put two tablespoons in a mug and add 8-10 oz hot water.

Homemade Instant Oatmeal - No More Packets

 

We love oatmeal for breakfast. I've shown you how we serve oatmeal when it's a leisurely morning, but here is what we do on those fast get-out-of-the-house mornings.

 

I buy those huge round containers of quick cooking oatmeal and mix it up with this recipe. Then I store it back in the original container and another smaller tub with a scoop (because it's twice the volume it won't all fit back in the same container). When breakfast time comes, I heat water in our tea kettle (warm not hot) and set it on the table (on a trivet of course). Then the kids can scoop out some instant oatmeal and pour in some water. Voila! Instant oatmeal without the cost of those expensive packets!

Homemade Instant Oatmeal

5 c quick cooking oatmeal

1/3 c brown sugar

1 c raisins

1/4 c powdered instant milk

Any additional add in's your family loves