Wookiee Cookie Weekend

We actually stayed home the whole day on Saturday and did some chores around the house.  I asked the boys if they wanted to make something, they wanted to pull out the Star Wars Cookbook that E received for Christmas this past year.  This book is full of cute ideas that kids love (and grown-ups like me love because they are easy!).  Some of our favorites are the TIE Fighter Ties (like pigs-in-a-blanket), Yoda Soda, and of course, Wookiee Cookies.  The Wookiee Cookies are basically standard chocolate chip cookies with cinnamon mixed in to give them a darker color and more flavor.  I must say, chocolate chip cookies are a lot more exciting when you can stack them up and pretend they are giant trees on Chewbacca's home planet of Kashyyyk.  They were absolutely Chewie!

Cupcake Tin Dinners

Like pretty much everything creative I will write about here, this was not my idea, but hopefully I will flatter the people who gave me the ideas by copying them. . . The cupcake tin dinner (or is it muffin tin dinner? - either one, I guess) is something I should have tried much sooner than today.  The idea was taken from A Day of Wonders.  The boys LOVED them!  The whole idea is to try and get picky eaters to try a variety of different healthy foods in small quantities.  My boys are not super-picky eaters, but sometimes they say they don't like a certain thing and then they are mysteriously hungry at bedtime.  I have always been a strong believer in not forcing them to finish their plates and not forcing them to eat food if they don't want to.  I figure, they will eat when they are hungry - it is best (for me) not to get into power struggles surrounding food.  I want them to have pleasant memories of our family dinners together!    

From left to right, top to bottom we have Muenster cheese cubes, grape tomatoes, green grapes, Ranch dressing, fruit snacks (dessert!), PB&J pieces, nectarines, baby carrots, red grapes, more PB&J pieces, Colby Jack cheese cubes, and strawberries.  

These were definitely a hit and will be asked for frequently at our supper table!