Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins with a surprise!

Are you looking for something fun to do with your family for Halloween? Or maybe your stuck inside with all the crazy weather and you want to do something that will make your kids stop asking when they can go out and play or if they can watch another movie? Well Have I got a fun one for you. f you have older kids they can help, and younger kids like Tabitha love to watch and say "when can I eat that!" haha. I recently got a great package from Kellogs, with Rice Krispies, marshmallows, a bag of mini 3 musketeers bars and a trick or treating pumpkin! Score! Now to make a yummy concoction for the family to munch on for Family home evening.

Here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Shaped Halloween Rice Krispies Treats with candy inside.

Ingredients

                        3 tablespoons butter or margarine

                        1 package (10 oz., about 40) Marshmallows

                        - OR -

                        4 cups Miniature Marshmallows

                        Orange food coloring

                        6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal

                        12 MILKY WAY® Brand Minis or 3 MUSKETEERS® Brand Minis

                        OR

                        6 FUN SIZE® Bars*

                        Canned frosting (green)

                        12 small green gum drops

Directions

1. In a large Saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Tint with orange food coloring.

2. Add Kellog's Rice Krispies Cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using a 1/2 Cup measuring cup coated with cooking spray, divide warm cereal mixture into 12 portions. Using buttered hands shape each portion into pumpkins, shape around one candy piece. Pipe frosting onto each for vines and attach gumdrop for stem. Best if served the same day.

Some tips from making them, I used a cast iron pot to heat its great for distributing the heat so the marshmallows didn't burn. I moved the cereal mixture onto a cookie sheet to cool a little before making the pumpkins. The first one was a little too warm and it ended up melting the chocolate a little. The first one also stuck to my hands like no other even though I had greased them up pretty well. If the mixture is too warm it will stick to your hands no matter how much you grease up your hands so make sure they are cooled enough to not stick to you but warm enough to be malleable. Its a fine line.

Tabitha LOVED helping, even if it was only to put the candy on top. We took some to our neighbors and they loved them too. These are a great treat and lots of fun to do as a family night activity.

I was sent a Kellog's Rice Krispies Surprise Pumpkin Treats ™ kit to create these wonderful treats from Kellog Company® to facilitate this review and giveaway. My opinions are my own and I would never recommend a product that I would not use myself. I have not been paid to write a positive review of Kellog Company or its products.

 

Summer Fun with Kids: Pirate day!

Tabitha has been really into pirates lately. She has a Step2 slide that has a steering wheel on it that she calls the pirate ship and when she plays on it she says "Argh!" a lot. So For this weeks activities I knew anything pirate would be right up her ally.

To start off I made little treasure chests for Tabitha and her friends.

I got kids shoeboxes and painted them gold. I used a mini paint roller that I got with a paint sample rather than a regular paint brush because it gave it more texture.

I did two coats of gold paint (I used craft paint I got at Walmart for $1.50) on each box. If you have older kids it would be fun to let them paint them themselves then decorate them. Since Tabitha is the oldest of her little group of friends and she is only 3 they were more than content with just the painted boxes.

On Saturday I held a Treasure hunt for the kids. I pulled out Tabitha's sandbox (Which is just a large tupperware box with a lid from Walmart and a bag of sand, it cost me about $18 for both) and filled it with butterscotch candies (gold doubloons),  Ringpops, and some plastic rings and tiara's I got for $1 a package at Walmart. Total I spent about $5 on stuff for the dig and the kids loved it.

Filling their Treasure boxes

Tabitha was on a roll

Comparing their booty!

Another Idea for this pirate these that would be great for older kids is to make a scavenger hunt to find the buried treasure. You can make a map and then cut it in pieces, on the back of each piece put a clue to the next pieces hiding place. Once they have all the clues they tape the map together and follow the map to the place where the treasure is buried. 

If you really want to get into it why not make or buy pirate costumes as well? 

I hope your little Pirates enjoy their booty as much as mine did! 

Secret Agent Spy Party Printable Review

Are your kids out of school and bored? Well I have something fun for them to do that won't cost a fortune or get anyone in trouble.

The Printable Super Sluth Secret Agent Spy Pack is a downloadable print out game that is sure to be hours of fun. You can purchase the game here for $13.99.
Once you print out your game you will need the following items: Brads, Black Balloons, Baking Soda, Crayons and Grape Juice.
After printing out the clues and materials you will decide where you hide the clues, there are 10 in all but you will also choose 20 decoy hiding spots so there are 30 total. You fill out the key locater according to directions and prepare the spy kits for each player. This is a cooperative game but you can print out more than one key locater and have two or more teams as well. Each player or team gets a spy kit which includes a filled out key locator, a cipher wheel, a morse code sheet and a wax crayon.

This would make a great birthday party game, infact you could easily make an entire party surrounding this game. Check out what other great products and tips for an awesome spy party they have at Queen of theme party games

This would be such a fun birthday party for boys and girls! If my girls were old enough for this kind of party I would definitely buy this!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I'm sorry, Did you say Free?

So I'm a cheapskate, and tightwad, a penny pincher, whatever you want to call it, its cool I know it. And even better I embrace it. So for those of you in the bay area looking to save a little dough this summer let me show you the way.
Fun for kids:
Story time,
Tabitha LOVES story time, especially baby storytime on saturday's at the Morgan Hill library. Why? because no one else is there (well maybe 3 kids max) but she's always the only one who stays the whole time and the story time lady lets her hold her bear and stand in front of the book and point at the pictures. its great. Morgan hill story times are:
Baby Story Time Sat 11am
Bilingual Story time Sat 10 am
Toddler story time Thurs 10 am
Preschool story time Thurs 10:45 am
Family Story time Wed 7pm
Morgan Hill Libray Special shows:
The Corny Crow Show with Steve Chaney at Morgan Hill Library 7/21/10 2-3pm : Laugh out loud at with this hilarious show featuring ventriloquism, juggling, and a bit of magic.
Marylee Sunseri @ Morgan Hill Library 7/22/10 10-10:30am: Join us for a special sing-along storytime with award winning children's singer-songwriter Marylee Sunseri.
Gilroy Library Story Times Wed 10:15-10:45 am and Tue 7-7:30 pm
Campbell Library Story times: Wed 10:30 am ages 2 1/2- 3 1/2, Wed 7:15pm 4 +, Thurs 10:30 ages 3 1/2 -6, baby story time Fri 11-11:30 am (Description: Infant to 18 months, come join us for books, songs, rhymes, and plenty of interactive fun! This series will run from August 13 through September17, 2010.)
The City of San Jose Library System has some great FREE events for kids this summer, check out the calender of Events Here. My recommendation for any of these events is to get there an hour early. Most of the events ask you to be there 1/2 hour early to get a ticket or get in line, so shoot for an hour because they are always packed!
We'll be going to the Princess Mermaid puppet show on 7/20/10 at the Cambrian branch library :Go on a musical adventure beneath the sea with Nick Barone's "The Princess Mermaid." This original story is filled with a dozen beautifully hand-crafted puppets and is designed to delight families and children of all ages. Attendance is limited. Please arrive 30 minutes early to receive a free ticket. Sponsored by Friends of Cambrian Library. (like I said I'm aiming for 1pm)

Do you want to take your baby to the circus? Well Ringling Brothers has a baby's first circus program where they will send you a free ticket for your munchkin (that doesn't expire) to go to the circus, only drawbacks you have to sign up before your little one is a year old. Check it out here.

Movies? For Free?
Why yes!
Morgan Hill has free Family Friendly movies on the 3rd saturday of the month all summer long, (Dates: Saturday, June 20, July 18, Aug 15 & Sept 19 – 3rd Saturday of each month (same at Street Fair dates)
What: FREE ‘family friendly’ outdoor movies at the Community Cultural Center. Movies to begin at dark.)
More Movies!

Picnic, Popcorn & Picture Show
Park Valencia, Santana Row, Winchester Boulevard and Olin Avenue; Wed at sundown, through Sep 24; 408.551.4600, www.santanarow.com

Gypsy Cinema Movies
Circle of the Palms, by the San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose; 408.882.5064, populuspresents.com

Cinema San Pedro
San Pedro Street, between Santa Clara and St. John streets, San Jose; six weeks of free outdoor screenings hosted by Cinequest and POPULUS Presents

STARLIGHT CINEMAS

San Pedro Square hosts free outdoor films the second Wednesday of June, July and August. Movies begin at dusk, come early for the best seat. Bring Your own Chair, Blanket or Air Bed.

June 10 -Blazing Saddles (1974/ Rated R/ 93 minutes) Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder and Clevon Little

July 8 - Caddy Shack (1980/ Rated R/ 107 minutes) Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray

August 12 - Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975/ Rated PG/ 91 minutes)

More Starlight Cinemas dates:

Historic District every third Wednesday – shown on Post Street. Events preceded by Post Street Summertime Blues free concerts 5:15-7:15 p.m.

June 17 - To Catch a Thief (1955/ NR/ 106 minutes) Gary Grant, Grace Kelly, John Williams

July 15 - Casablanca (1942/ NR/ 102 minutes) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman

August 19 - A Streetcar Named Desire 1951/ NR /122 minutes) Vivien Leigh,Kim Hunter, Marlon Brando

SoFA District every fourth Wednesday — shown at South First and William streets

June 24 - Mad Hot Ballroom (2005/ Rated PG/ 105 minutes)

July 22 - Romeo & Juliet (1996/ Rated PG-13/ 120 minutes) Leonardo DiCaprio; Claire Danes; John Leguizamo; Harrold Perrineu

August 26 - Shaun of The Dead (2004/ Rated R/ 99 minutes) Simon Pegg; Kate Ashfield; Nick Frost; Lucy Davis; Dylan Moran

Music too?

SCION'S MUSIC IN THE PARK

Presented by Dos Equis and Metro Newspapers

This summer, 13 events will take place, all at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, off Market Street and San Fernando Street. The schedule is once again blockbuster, filled with world-class performers.

Best of all, the shows are free. Park in the Market-San Pedro Garage for $3 after 6 p.m. And stay late, eating at one of many San Pedro Square establishments.

Mark your calendars with these free shows, each beginning at 5:30 p.m. And ending about 9 p.m.:

July 23: Matt Nathanson (pop / rock); supported by MiGGs

July 30: Colin Hay of Men at Work (pop)

August 6: Anthony David (R&B)

August 13: Better Than Ezra (pop / rock)

August 20: Sonny Landreth (blues / rock)

August 27: White Album Ensemble plays "Across the Universe" (Beatles tribute)

The Fair too!

Santa Clara County FairFest
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds; Aug. 2-4, 11am-11pm; 408.494.3100, www.thefair.org

The annual celebration of the valley's agricultural roots has dropped its usual $8 adult admission all the way down to…zero. A parking charge remains, but that's still a considerable savings for unlimited access to music, fireworks and exhibits.

Downtown San Jose Free Parking: Weekdays after 6 and all day weekends and holidays.

Market & San Pedro Square Garage
(between Santa Clara and St. John streets)

Third Street Garage
(between Santa Clara and St. John streets)

San Fernando & Third Street Lot
(Block 3) (between Second and Third streets, north of the San Jose Repertory Theatre)

San Fernando & Second Street Lot
(Block 2) (on San Fernando Street, between First and Second streets, across from Gordon Biersch Restaurant)

Pavilion Garage
(on Second Street, between San Fernando and San Carlos streets)

Second & San Carlos Street Garage
(on Second and Third streets at San Carlos, next to Camera 3 Cinemas)

Fourth and San Fernando Street Garage
(northeast corner of Fourth and San Fernando streets)

Check www.sjdowntownparking.com/freepark.htm for details

Wow That's a lot of Free! And Guess what? There's More! But we'll save that for another post!